act was to secure a place in the mail-coach
for Havre on the following evening. Then he went to three of the chief
jewellers in Paris and compared all the whip-handles that they could
offer; he was in search of some artistic treasure that was regally
superb. He found one at last, made by Stidmann for a Russian, who was
unable to pay for it when finished,--a fox-head in gold, with a ruby of
exorbitant value; all his savings went into the purchase, the cost of
which was seven thousand francs. Ernest gave a drawing of the arms of
La Bastie, and allowed the shop-people twenty hours to engrave them.
The handle, a masterpiece of delicate workmanship, was fitted to an
india-rubber whip and put into a morocco case lined with velvet, on
which two M.'s interlaced were stamped in gold.

La Briere got back to Havre by the mail-coach Wednesday morning in
time to breakfast with Canalis. The poet had concealed his secretary's
absence by declaring that he was busy with some work sent from Paris.
Butscha, who met La Briere at the coach-door, took the box containing
the precious work of art to Francoise Cochet, with instructions to place
it on Modeste's dressing-table.

"Of course you will accompany Mademoiselle Modeste on her ride to-day?"
said Butscha, who went to Canalis's house to let La Briere know by a
wink that the whip had gone to its destination.

"I?" answered Ernest; "no, I am going to bed."

"Bah!" exclaimed Canalis, looking at him. "I don't know what to make of
you."

Breakfast was then served, and the poet naturally invited their visitor
to stay and take it. Butscha complied, having seen in the expression of
the valet's face the success of a trick in which we shall see the first
fruits of his promise to Modeste.

"Monsieur is very right to detain the clerk of Monsieur Latournelle,"
whispered Germain in his master's ear.

Canalis and Germain went into the salon on a sign that passed between
them.

"I went out this morning to see the men fish, monsieur," said the
valet,--"an excursion proposed to me by the captain of a smack, whose
acquaintance I have made."

Germain did not acknowledge that he had the bad taste to play billiards
in a cafe,--a fact of which Butscha had taken advantage to surround him
with friends of his own and manage him as he pleased.

"Well?" said Canalis, "to the point,--quick!"

"Monsieur le baron, I heard a conversation about Monsieur Mignon, which
I encouraged as far as I could; for no on