just come from your
house, there! and your portress told me where to find you."

"Well done!" said la Peyrade, "I like this frankness; I can get on with
men who play above-board. Well, what do you want of me? Have you come to
talk about your election? I have already begun to work for it."

"No, really?" said Thuillier, "how?"

"Here," replied la Peyrade, feeling under his gown for his pocket
and bringing out a paper, "here's what I scribbled just now in the
court-room while the lawyer on the other side rambled on like an
expert."

"What is it about?" asked Thuillier.

"Read and you'll see."

The paper read as follows:--

Estimate for a newspaper, small size, at thirty francs a year.

Calculating the editions at 5,000 the costs are:--

Paper, 5 reams at 12 francs . . . . . . . . . . 1,860 francs.
Composition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,400 "
Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450 "
One administrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250 "
One clerk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 "
One editor (also cashier) . . . . . . . . . . . 200 "
One despatcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 "
Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 "
One office boy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 "
Office expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 "
Rent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 "
License and postage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,500 "
Reporting and stenographic news . . . . . . . . 1,800 "
---------

Total monthly, 15,110 "
" yearly, 181,320 "

"Do you want to set up a paper?" asked Thuillier, in dread.

"I?" asked la Peyrade, "I want nothing at all; you are the one to be
asked if you want to be a deputy."

"Undoubtedly I do; because, when you urged me to become a municipal
councillor, you put the idea into my head. But reflect, my dear
Theodose, one hundred and eighty one thousand three hundred and twenty
francs to put out! Have I a fortune large enough to meet such a demand?"

"Yes," said la Peyrade, "you could very well support that expense, for
considering the end you want to obtain there is nothing exorbitant
in it. In England they make much greater sacrifices to get a seat in
Parliament; but in