The baron got up, said goodbye to me and I heard his great ivory-
handled cane knock against each step till he finally came to the
bottom of the stairs. Then, waking up from my temporary stupor,
I suddenly remembered that I had not thanked him, and I ran down
those four flights of stairs as quick as a flash. But, when I got to
the door, it was in vain that I looked both right and left - the street
was deserted.
"Well! Fancy that!" I said to myself. "Here's a how-d'you-do!"
And I went back up the stairs quite out of breath.