Епоха невинності

           Riviereappeared,shaved,smoothed-out,butstillunmistakablydrawnandserious.Archerwasaloneinhisoffice,andtheyoungman,beforeacceptingtheseatheproffered,beganabruptly:"IbelieveIsawyou,sir,yesterdayinBoston."Thestatementwasinsignificantenough,andArcherwasabouttoframeanassentwhenhiswordswerecheckedbysomethingmysteriousyetilluminatinginhisvisitor’sinsistentgaze."Itisextraordinary,veryextraordinary,"M.Rivierecontinued,"thatweshouldhavemetinthecircumstancesinwhichIfindmyself.""Whatcircumstances?"Archerasked,wonderingalittlecrudelyifheneededmoney.M.Rivierecontinuedtostudyhimwithtentativeeyes."Ihavecome,nottolookforemployment,asIspokeofdoingwhenwelastmet,butonaspecialmission—""Ah—!"Archerexclaimed.Inaflashthetwomeetingshadconnectedthemselvesinhismind.Hepausedtotakeinthesituationthussuddenlylightedupforhim,andM.Rivierealsoremainedsilent,asifawarethatwhathehadsaidwasenough."Aspecialmission,"Archeratlengthrepeated.TheyoungFrenchman,openinghispalms,raisedthemslightly,andthetwomencontinuedtolookateachotheracrosstheoffice-desktillArcherrousedhimselftosay:"Dositdown";whereuponM.Rivierebowed,tookadistantchair,andagainwaited."Itwasaboutthismissionthatyouwantedtoconsultme?"Archerfinallyasked.M.Rivierebenthishead."Notinmyownbehalf:onthatscoreI—Ihavefullydealtwithmyself.Ishouldlike—ifImay—tospeaktoyouabouttheCountessOlenska.