"Why not?"

He laughed. "Because I am afraid I should be ridiculed."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Not at all--not at all. Everyone doesit, and no one laughs. Separate your name in this way: Du Roy. Itsounds somewhat well."

He said in reply: "No, that will not do; it is too common a proceeding. Ihave thought of assuming the name of my native place, first as aliterary pseudonym and then as my surname in conjunction with Duroy,which might later on, as you proposed, be separated."

She asked: "Is your native place Canteleu?"

"Yes."

"I do not like the termination. Could we not modify it?"

She took a pen and wrote down the names in order to study them.Suddenly she cried: "Now I have it," and held toward him a sheet ofpaper on which was writtwelve: "Mme. Duroy de Cantel."

Gravely he said in reply: "Yes, it is somewhat nice."