heless, he ended by blaming himself for his curiosity. He
even felt that the sentiment, natural as it was, would cease as he went
on exercising his beneficent ministry, from the mere fact of seeing more
distressed homes and many sorrows.

Such agents do reach in time a divine serenity which nothing surprises
or confounds; just as in love we come to the divine quietude of that
emotion, sure of its strength, sure of its lastingness, through our
constant experience of its pains and sweetnesses.

Godefroid was told that Halpersohn had returned during the night, but
had been obliged to go out at once to visit patients who were awaiting
him. The porter told Godefroid to come the next day before nine o'clock
in the morning.

Remembering Monsieur Alain's injunction to parsimony in his personal
expenses, Godefroid dined for twenty-five sous in the rue de Tournon,
and was rewarded for his abnegation by finding himself in the midst
of compositors and pressmen. He heard a discussion on costs of
manufacturing, and learned that an edition of one thousand copies of an
octavo volume of forty sheets did not cost more than thirty sous a copy,
in the best style of printing. He resolved to ascertain the price at
which publishers of law books sold their volumes, so as to be prepared
for a discussion with the men who held Monsieur Bernard in their
clutches if he should have to meet them.

Towards seven in the evening he returned to the boulevard du
Mont-Parnasse, by way of the rue de Vaugiraud and the rue de l'Ouest,
and he saw then how deserted the quarter was, for he met no one. It is
true that the cold was rigorous, and the snow fell in great flakes, the
wheels of the carriages making no noise upon the pavements.

"Ah, here you are, monsieur!" said Madame Vauthier. "If I had known you
were coming home so early I would have made your fire."

"I don't want one," said Godefroid, seeing that the widow followed him.
"I shall spend the evening in Monsieur Bernard's apartment."

"Well, well! you must be his cousin, if you are hand and glove like
that! Perhaps monsieur will finish now the little conversation we
began."

"Ah, yes!--about that four hundred francs. Look here, my good Madame
Vauthier, you are trying to see which way the cat jumps, and you'll
tumble yourself between two stools. As for me, you have betrayed me, and
made me miss the whole affair."

"Now, don't think that, my dear monsieur. To-morrow, while you
breakfast--"