, as though to read the thoughts that moved
in the busy brain.

"How did you find out my little establishment down here?" asked
Perpignan.

"By a mere chance," remarked Tantaine carelessly. "I go about a
good deal, and hear many things. For instance, you have taken every
precaution here, and though you are really the proprietor, yet the
husband of your cook and housekeeper, Butor, is supposed to be the owner
of the house--at least it stands in his name. Now, if anything untoward
happened, you would vanish, and only Butor would remain a prey for the
police."

Tantaine paused for a moment, and then slowly added, "Such tactics
usually succeed unless a man has some secret enemy, who would
take advantage of his knowledge, to do him an injury by obtaining
irrefragable proofs of his complicity."

The ex-cook easily perceived the threat that was hidden under these
words. "They know something," muttered he, "and I must find out what it
is."

"If a man has a clear conscience," said he aloud, "he is all right. I
have nothing to conceal, and therefore nothing to fear. You have now
seen my establishment; what do you think of it?"

"It seems to me a very well-conducted one."

"It may have occurred to you that a factory at Roubaix might have been a
better investment, but I had not the capital to begin with."

Tantaine nodded. "It is not half a bad trade," said he.

"I agree with you. In the Rue St. Marguerite you will find more than
one similar establishment; but I never cared for the situation of the
Faubourg St. Antoine. My little angels find this spot more salubrious."

"Yes, yes," answered Tantaine amicably, "and if they howl too much when
they are corrected, there are not too many neighbors to hear them."

Perpignan thought it best to take no notice of this observation. "The
papers are always pitching into us," continued he. "They had much better
stick to politics. The fact is, that the profits of our business are
tremendously exaggerated."

"Well, you manage to make a living out of it?"

"I don't lose, I confess, but I have six little cherubs in hospital,
besides the one in the kitchen, and these, of course, are a dead loss to
me."

"That is a sad thing for you," answered Tantaine gravely.

Perpignan began to be amazed at his visitor's coolness.

"Damn it all," said he, "if you and Mascarin think the business such
a profitable one, why don't you go in for it. You may perhaps think it
easy to procure the kids