master of that,
and you can do as you like; a fool and his money are soon parted."

When, therefore, she listened to her brother's confidences it was
not with reproaches, but, on the contrary, with a crow of triumph,
celebrating the probable return of her power, that she welcomed them.

"So much the better!" she cried; "it is well to know at last that the
man is a spy. I always thought so, the canting bigot! Turn him out of
doors without an explanation. WE don't want him to work that newspaper.
This Monsieur Cerizet seems, from what you tell me, the right sort of
man, and we can get another manager. Besides, when Madame de Godollo
went away she promised to write to me; and she can easily put us in the
way of finding some one. Poor, dear Celeste! what a fate we were going
to give her!"

"How you run on!" said Thuillier. "La Peyrade, my dear, is so far only
accused. He must be heard in his defence. And besides, there's a deed
that binds us."

"Ah, very good!" said Brigitte; "I see how it will be; you'll let that
man twist you round his finger again. A deed with a spy! As if there
could be deeds with such fellows."

"Come, come, be calm, my good Brigitte," returned Thuillier. "We
mustn't do anything hastily. Certainly, if la Peyrade cannot furnish
a justification, clear, categorical, and convincing, I shall decide to
break with him, and I'll prove to you that I am no milksop. But Cerizet
himself is not certain; these are mere inductions, and I only came
to consult you as to whether I ought, or ought not, to demand an
explanation outright."

"Not a doubt about it," replied Brigitte. "You ought to demand an
explanation and go to the bottom of this thing; if you don't, I cast you
off as my brother."

"That suffices," said Thuillier, leaving the room with solemnity; "you
shall see that we will come to an understanding."

CHAPTER XI. EXPLANATIONS AND WHAT CAME OF THEM

On his return to the office after his conference with Brigitte,
Thuillier found la Peyrade at his post as editor-in-chief, and in a
position of much embarrassment, caused by the high hand he had reserved
for himself as the sole selector of articles and contributors. At this
moment, Phellion, instigated by his family, and deeply conscious of his
position on the reading-committee of the Odeon, had come to offer his
services as dramatic critic.

"My dear monsieur," he said, continuing his remarks to la Peyrade, after
inquiring of Thuillier about