ought to free one's self by paying it."

"But, my dear la Peyrade," said Dutocq, "why take this bitter tone?"

Pulling from his pocket a portfolio, la Peyrade said:--

"Have you those notes with you, Dutocq?"

"Faith! no, my dear fellow," replied Dutocq, "I don't carry them about
with me; besides, they are in Cerizet's hands."

"Well," said the barrister, rising, "whenever you come to my house I'll
pay you on the nail, as Cerizet can tell you."

"What! are you going to leave us without your coffee?" said Cerizet,
amazed to the last degree.

"Yes; I have an arbitration case at eight o'clock. Besides, we have said
all we had to say. You haven't your lease, but you've got your twenty
five thousand francs in full, and those of Dutocq are ready for him
whenever he chooses to come to my office. I see nothing now to prevent
me from going where my private business calls me, and I therefore very
cordially bid you good-bye."

"Ah ca! Dutocq," cried Cerizet, as la Peyrade disappeared, "this means a
rupture."

"Prepared with the utmost care," added Dutocq. "Did you notice the air
with which he pulled out that pocket-book?"

"But where the devil," said the usurer, "could he have got the money?"

"Probably," replied Dutocq, sarcastically, "where he got that with which
he paid you in full for those notes you sold at a sacrifice."

"My dear Dutocq," said Cerizet, "I'll explain to you the circumstances
under which that insolent fellow freed himself, and you'll see if he
didn't rob me of fifteen thousand francs."

"Possibly, but you, my worthy clerk, were trying to get ten thousand
away from me."

"No, no; I was positively ordered to buy up your claim; and you ought to
remember that my offer had risen to twenty thousand when Theodose came
in."

"Well," said Dutocq, "when we leave here we'll go to your house, where
you will give me those notes; for, you'll understand that to-morrow
morning, at the earliest decent hour, I shall go to la Peyrade's office;
I don't mean to let his paying humor cool."

"And right you are; for I can tell you now that before long there'll be
a fine upset in his life."

"Then the thing is really serious--this tale of a crazy woman you want
him to marry? I must say that in his place, with these money-matters
evidently on the rise, I should have backed out of your proposals just
as he did. Ninas and Ophelias are all very well on the stage, but in a
home--"

"In a home, when they bring a 'dot,