think Monsieur
Godefroid hired his rooms to have you hold your meetings in them?"

"Excuse me, madame," said the gardener, "but there was no room on the
landing."

"I didn't say that for you, Monsieur Cartier," said the widow.

"Remain where you are!" cried Godefroid, addressing the gardener; "and
you, my dear neighbor," he added, looking at Monsieur Bernard, who
seemed insensible to the cruel insult, "if it is convenient to you to
have an explanation with your gardener in my room, come in."

The old man, half stupefied with his troubles, cast a look of gratitude
on Godefroid.

"As for you, my dear Madame Vauthier," continued Godefroid, "don't be
so rough with monsieur, who is in the first place an old man, and one to
whom you owe the obligation of my lodging here."

"Oh, pooh!" said the widow.

"Besides, if poor people do not help each other, who will help them?
Leave us, Madame Vauthier; I'll blow the fire myself. Have the rest of
my wood put in your cellar; I am sure you will take good care of it."

Madame Vauthier disappeared, for Godefroid in telling her to take care
of his wood had given an opportunity to her greed.

"Come in this way," said Godefroid, offering chairs to both debtor and
creditor.

The old man conversed standing, but the gardener sat down.

"My good Monsieur Cartier," went on Godefroid, "rich people do not pay
as regularly as you say they do, and you ought not to dun a worthy man
for a few louis. Monsieur draws his pension every six months, and he
could not make you an assignment of it for such a paltry sum. I am
willing to advance the money, if you absolutely insist on having it."

"Monsieur Bernard drew his pension two weeks ago, and has not paid me. I
am sorry to trouble him, of course."

"Have you furnished him with plants all along?"

"Yes, monsieur, for six years, and he has always paid me."

Monsieur Bernard, who was listening to some sound in his own rooms and
paying no attention to what was being said, now heard a cry through the
partitions and hurried away without a word.

"Come, come, my good man," said Godefroid, taking advantage of the old
man's absence, "bring some nice flowers, your best flowers, this very
morning, and tell your wife to send the eggs and milk as usual; I will
pay you this evening."

Cartier looked oddly at Godefroid.

"Then you must know more than Madame Vauthier does; she sent me word to
hurry if I hoped to be paid," he said. "Neither she nor