s being found out, and these things had never happened to
him before.

"Well, I suppose that I must give in," answered he sulkily.

"Quite so; it is a pity that you did not think of that before."

"You vexed me and made me angry."

"Just so; well, now, get up, take that chair, and let us talk
reasonably."

Perpignan obeyed without a word.

"Now," said Tantaine, "I came here with a really magnificent proposal.
But I adopted the course I pursued because I wished to prove to you
that _you_ belonged more absolutely to Mascarin than did your wretched
foreign slaves to you. You are absolutely at his mercy, and he can crush
you to powder whenever he likes."

"Your Mascarin is Satan himself," muttered the discomfited man. "Who can
resist him?"

"Come, as you think thus, we can talk sensibly at last."

"Well," answered Perpignan ruefully, as he adjusted his disordered
necktie, "say what you like, I have no answer to make."

"Let us begin at the commencement," said Tantaine. "For some days past
your people have been following a certain Caroline Schimmel. A fellow of
sixteen called Ambrose, a lad with a harp, was told off for this duty.
He is not to be trusted. Only a night or two ago one of my men made him
drunk; and fearing lest his absence might create surprise, drove him
here in a cab, and left him at the corner."

The ex-cook uttered an oath.

"Then you too are watching Caroline," said he. "I knew well that there
was some one else in the field, but that was no matter of mine."

"Well, tell me why you are watching her?"

"How can you ask me? You know that my motto is silence and discretion,
and that this is a secret intrusted to my honor."

Tantaine shrugged his shoulders.

"Why do you talk like that, when you know very well that you are
following Ambrose on your own account, hoping by that means to penetrate
a secret, only a small portion of which has been intrusted to you?"
remarked he.

"Are you certain of this statement?" asked the man, with a cunning look.

"So sure that I can tell you that the matter was placed in your hands by
a certain M. Catenac."

The expression in Perpignan's face changed from astonishment to fear.

"Why, this Mascarin knows everything," muttered he.

"No," replied Tantaine, "my master does not know everything, and the
proof of this is, that I have come to ask you what occurred between
Catenac's client and yourself, and this is the service that we expect
from you."

"Wel