his eyes all night!"

"Very well," replied Desroches. "You may congratulate yourself," he
added, making Sauvaignou sign the paper, "that you've earned that money
pretty easily."

"It is really mine, isn't it, monsieur?" said the Marseillais, already
uneasy.

"Yes, and legally, too," replied Desroches, "only you must let your
man know this morning that you have revoked your proxy under date of
yesterday. Go out through my clerk's office, here, this way."

Desroches told his head-clerk what the man was to do, and he sent a
pupil-clerk with him to see that a sheriff's officer carried the notice
to Cerizet before ten o'clock.

"I thank you, Desroches," said la Peyrade, pressing the attorney's hand;
"you think of everything; I shall never forget this service."

"Don't deposit the deed with Cardot till after twelve o'clock," returned
Desroches.

"Hay! comrade," cried the barrister, in Provencal, following Sauvaignou
into the next room, "take your Margot to walk about Belleville, and be
sure you don't go home."

"I hear," said Sauvaignou. "I'm off to-morrow; adieu!"

"Adieu," returned la Peyrade, with a Provencal cry.

"There is something behind all this," said Desroches in an undertone to
Godeschal, as la Peyrade followed Sauvaignou into the clerk's office.

"The Thuilliers get a splendid piece of property for next to nothing,"
replied Godeschal; "that's all."

"La Peyrade and Cerizet look to me like two divers who are fighting
under water," replied Desroches. "What am I to say to Cerizet, who put
the matter into my hands?" he added, as the barrister returned to them.

"Tell him that Sauvaignou forced your hand," replied la Peyrade.

"And you fear nothing?" said Desroches, in a sudden manner.

"I? oh no! I want to give Cerizet a lesson."

"To-morrow, I shall know the truth," said Desroches, in a low tone, to
Godeschal; "no one chatters like a beaten man."

La Peyrade departed, carrying with him the deed of relinquishment.
At eleven o'clock he was in the courtroom of the justice-of-peace,
perfectly calm, and firm. When he saw Cerizet come in, pale with rage,
his eyes full of venom, he said in his ear:--

"My dear friend, I'm a pretty good fellow myself, and I hold that
twenty-five thousand francs in good bank-bills at your disposal,
whenever you will return to me those notes of mine which you hold."

Cerizet looked at the advocate of the poor, without being able to say
one word in reply; he was green; t