hat kind in Paris. You can't do better than make sure of an
influence in that sphere."

"Here are my conditions; and they won't allow of discussion; you can
take them or leave them. You will obtain for me the lease of Thuillier's
new house for eighteen years, and I'll hand you back one of your five
notes cancelled, and you shall not find me any longer in your way. But
you will have to settle with Dutocq for the remaining four notes. You
got the better of _me_, and I know Dutocq hasn't the force to stand
against you."

"I'll agree to that, provided you'll pay a rent of forty-eight thousand
francs for the house, the last year in advance, and begin the lease in
October."

"Yes; but I shall not give for the last year's rent more than
forty-three thousand francs; your note will pay the remainder. I have
seen the house, and examined it. It suits me very well."

"One last condition," said Theodose; "you'll help me against Dutocq?"

"No," said Cerizet, "you'll cook him brown yourself; he doesn't need any
basting from me; he'll give out his gravy fast enough. But you ought to
be reasonable. The poor fellow can't pay off the last fifteen thousand
francs due on his practice, and you should reflect that fifteen thousand
francs would certainly buy back your notes."

"Well; give me two weeks to get your lease--"

"No, not a day later than Monday next! Tuesday your notes will be in
Louchard's hands; unless you pay them Monday, or Thuillier signs the
lease."

"Well, Monday, so be it!" said Theodose; "are we friends?"

"We shall be Monday," responded Cerizet.

"Well, then, Monday you'll pay for my dinner," said Theodose, laughing.

"Yes, at the Rocher de Cancale, if I have the lease. Dutocq shall be
there--we'll all be there--ah! it is long since I've had a good laugh."

Theodose and Cerizet shook hands, saying, reciprocally:--

"We'll meet soon."

Cerizet had not calmed down so suddenly without reasons. In the first
place, as Desroches once said, "Bile does not facilitate business," and
the usurer had too well seen the justice of that remark not to coolly
resolve to get something out of his position, and to squeeze the jugular
vein of the crafty Provencal until he strangled him.

"It is a fair revenge," Desroches said to him; "mind you extract its
quintessence. You hold that fellow."

For ten years past Cerizet had seen men growing rich by practising the
trade of principal tenant. The principal tenant is, in Paris, t