“It was a passion as I have never felt before. Never have I held such a young, glowing and beautiful female in my arms who had absolutely no reins on her unbridled lust.
“'Will I ever meet you again?' I whispered.
“'Possibly, my sweetheart, Raoul,' she murmured sleepily.
“Who is Pomegranate Flower? I am afraid that I will never find out. One thing is for sure, she is a woman, completely without any prejudices. And not only does she know how to be taken, but she also knows how to give. My friends, I left this mysterious home with my head in seventh heaven. I was totally exhausted. One thing is sure, I would be the most unhappy man on earth if I were never to see her again.”
“What?” the little gathering that had been absorbed by Raoul de Paliseul's story exclaimed. “What do you mean, 'never to see her again!' Do you believe that this mysterious Pomegranate Flower wanted only one passionate night of love? Would she be capable of denying herself any subsequent ones?”
“I don't know. I honestly have no idea. When I said good-bye to her, I obviously asked when we would meet again. And she answered with a mysterious smile, 'When the sphinx writes you again.' And I am still waiting for that letter.”
“Well, my dear Raoul, one or two nights of decent rest won't do you any harm. Those deep rings around your eyes are positively indecent, especially now that we know for sure how you got them. You have simply made too much love.”
During the entire story, Maxim de Berny had not said a single word. From time to time the officer would look in his friend's direction with a mysterious smile on his face. When Raoul had finished his story, the officer walked over to the young Count, offered him his hand, saying, “My compliments, Raoul, for your gift of storytelling. It is swinging, full of elegantly turned phrases, a melodious voice and an absolutely thrilling imagination. But please, my dear friend, don't try to swindle us, and that's what you were trying to do. And, what's even worse… you are an ostentatious, swaggering braggart.”
“Well, goddammit, man… that is strong language, and I demand satisfaction.”
“It is true, I am not exaggerating. Because I, too, know the mysterious woman. I know all about the golden sphinx, the large estate with flowers and lanterns. And, since I was there myself, I know for sure that you cannot have spent the night there!”
“That remark surpasses all bounds of good taste!”
“As you wish. But it is nevertheless true, and I can prove it.”
The small circle of people held their breath. It was a very long time since a similar sensation had shaken the club.
“Proof? I beg of you… what proof?” Raoul exclaimed, slightly nervous and worried.
“Now, now, let's not lose our heads!” De Melreuse, as usual, tried to calm everyone down. “Let's go over some of the details of the story once more. What day were you there, Raoul?”
“On the sixth.”
“And you, Maxim?”
“On the sixth.”
“And you both had supper and tea?”
“Of course!” the gentlemen answered simultaneously.
“All right, it's Maxim's turn.”
“As far as I am concerned, the entire story Raoul has given was true up to a certain point. He was right about the exotically perfumed letter, sealed with a golden sphinx, the Negro coachman and the black chambermaid, and also about the perfumed calling card which I hereby show as proof.”
“And here,” Raoul said feverishly, “is mine!”
“So, gentlemen, be happy! Both of you were nominated, and both of you were selected!” It was de Melreuse again, who tried his best to avoid a bloody fight.
“It couldn't have been at the same hour…” someone interjected.
Maxim spoke up again. “Raoul gives very enticing details. However, there is one thing wrong with them. They are positively untrue! The name of the ravishing and mysterious lady was not Pomegranate Flower, but Evergreen. And she has never been near the scorching sun of the Iberian Peninsula, either! On the contrary, she is a divine creature of a far Northern country. She represents the most enchanting moonlit night. In other words, she is the most ravishing blonde one can possibly imagine. And after I had unraveled her out of Lord knows how many yards of finest linen, I beheld an Eve who had just descended from the snow capped tops of the mountain. A totally innocent woman, who was only curious. The surprise, expressed by her virginal innocence could not possibly have been faked by any courtesan. There was nothing fiery and passionate about her, but she was very cuddly and as innocently playful as a young kitten. As a matter of fact, she is so much woman that it was almost sacrilege to be a man next to this enchanting creature.”
“God preserve us,” said de Laigle and de Resdorff to one another. “These two are out of their minds with passion!”
“Yes,” de Resdorff said, “and if you ask me, they are not only infatuated, they are falling deeply in love with women they don't even know.”
“Maxim, listen,” said de Laigle who was more or less the unofficial president of the Club de Topinambours, “this whole affair is so filled with mystery, that our club cannot stand idly by and have such a thing happen in Paris. Especially if it involves a secret where our combined honor demands that we unravel it! It is simply the duty of our club!”
“Our friend Raoul maintains upon his honor that he has wallowed in seventh heaven with a divine brunette. And you, — dear Maxim, are just as positive that you have tasted the delights of heaven in the same house, at the same hour, with a delicious blonde. Gentlemen, now please, be reasonable. Don't you think that you have been the victim of an extremely cunning matchmaker?”
“Impossible,” both young men exclaimed simultaneously. “Nothing of the sort! Even the meanest servants refused to take money from us!'
“And I,” Raoul said, slightly blushing, “received a letter in the mail with a substantial check which, oh, how stupid of me, I had discreetly put down upon one of the tables.”
“Mystery on top of mystery.”
“Yes,” Raoul said, “and it is a mystery that excites me to the point where it is driving me insane!”
“Me, too,” Maxim added, “and I promise that I will not leave a stone unturned to get to the bottom of this seemingly impenetrable mystery. Day after tomorrow I will keep eyes and ears open, that I can promise you.”
“What?” de Paliseul asked jealously. “Do you have another meeting promised for the day after tomorrow?”
“Yes…”
“Did you receive another sphinx letter today?”
“No, but before we separated, she definitely promised me another rendezvous.”
“Dammit! I should have done the same! Why didn't I think of that? You were much smarter than I.”
“And what about your lady friend? Didn't she say, 'Possibly'?”
“I have been dreaming about that ever since she whispered it to me. Are you supposed to meet her again in the Avenue MacMahon?”
“No, this time I am supposed to… but, wait a moment. I have promised to be discreet and secretive, and I am not going to reward the favors of the beautiful lady Evergreen with an indiscretion. She wants to maintain her incognito, and it is not up to me to lead you lecherous gentlemen to her secret abode.”
These words evoked a storm of protests. “And what about the solidarity of our club? What about that, hah… can you tell us?”
“For once I shall forget about that solidarity. Moreover, the Good Book says, 'Seek and ye shall find.' I advise my dear friends to turn these divinely inspired words into deeds and if you can come up with anything, remember, dear friends, 'Finders keepers… losers weepers.' As far as I am concerned I leave whatever plan of action you decide upon entirely up to the discretion of the club. Just don't expect me to help you.”