Le fourbe

A seasoned Parisian narrator recounts his long‑standing friendship with Denis Claudion, a strikingly confident Englishman who runs a powerful explosives firm in Scotland. When Denis spends his winters in the capital, the two share evenings in opulent taverns, surrounded by polished mahogany, glittering crystal and the fragrant haze of cigars. Their conversations flow as smoothly as the exotic cocktails they sip, revealing Denis’s charismatic yet unsettling perfection.

The story flashes back to their school days in Reims, where a teenage Denis astonished his classmates by daringly taking the wheel of a brand‑new automobile—an early glimpse of the bold, almost Machiavellian spirit that would define him. The narrator remembers the mix of admiration and unease that followed his daring exploits, foreshadowing a character who can be both delightful companion and formidable force.

As the narrative unfolds, the pair navigate a world of high‑society intrigue and industrial ambition, hinting at the moral complexities that lie beneath Denis’s polished façade, without yet revealing the deeper twists that await.