u!" exclaimed la Peyrade; "do you suppose that after all that has
taken place between us I should boldly harness myself to your election
without knowing exactly what benefit I am to get for it?"

"But," said Thuillier, rather astonished, "I thought that friendship was
a good exchange for such services."

"Yes; but when the exchange consists in one side giving all and the
other side nothing, friendship gets tired of that sort of sharing, and
asks for something a little better balanced."

"But, my dear Theodose, what have I to offer you that you have not
already rejected?"

"I rejected it, because it was offered without heartiness, and seasoned
with Mademoiselle Brigitte's vinegar; every self-respecting man would
have acted as I did. Give and keep don't pass, as the old legal saying
is; but that is precisely what you persist in doing."

"I!--I think you took offence very unreasonably; but the engagement
might be renewed."

"So be it," replied la Peyrade; "but I will not put myself at the
mercy of either the success of the election or Mademoiselle Celeste's
caprices. I claim the right to something positive and certain. Give and
take; short accounts make good friends."

"I perfectly agree with you," said Thuillier, "and I have always treated
you with too much good faith to fear any of these precautions you now
want to take. But what guarantees do you want?"

"I want that the husband of Celeste should manage your election, and not
Theodose de la Peyrade."

"By hurrying things as much as possible, so Brigitte said, it would
still take fifteen days; and just think, with the elections only eight
weeks off, to lose two of them doing nothing!"

"Day after to-morrow," replied la Peyrade, "the banns can be published
for the first time at the mayor's office, in the intervals of
publication some things could be done, for though the publishing of the
banns is not a step from which there is no retreat, it is at least a
public pledge and a long step taken; after that we can get your notary
to draw the contract at once. Moreover, if you decide on buying this
newspaper, I shouldn't be afraid that you would go back on me, for you
don't want a useless horse in your stable, and without me I am certain
you can't manage him."

"But, my dear fellow," said Thuillier, going back to his objections,
"suppose that affair proves too onerous?"

"There's no need to say that you are the sole judge of the conditions of
the purchase. I don'