rality as compulsory, were prepared to betray me as soon as
I ceased to be a certain source of reliance. When I went home
from my wife's, I had still another proof of the wretchedness
affixed to the state of a fugitive galley-slave. Annette and my
mother were in tears. During my absence, two drunken men had
asked for me, and on being told that I was from home, they had
broke forth in oaths and threats, which left me no longer in
doubt of the perfidy of their intentions. By the description
which Annette gave me of these two individuals, I easily
recognised Blondy, and his comrade, Deluc. I had no trouble in
guessing their names; and besides, they had left an address,
with a formal injunction to send them forty francs, which was
more than enough to disclose to me who they were, as there were
not in Paris any other persons who could send me such an
intimation. I was obedient, very obedient; only in paying my
contribution to these two scoundrels, I could not help letting
them know how inconsiderately they had behaved. 'Consider what
a step you have taken,' said I to them; 'they know nothing at
my house, and you have told them all. My wife, who carries on
the concern in her name, will perhaps turn me out, and then I
must be reduced to the lowest ebb of misery.'--'Oh! you can
come and rob with us,' answered the two rascals. I endeavoured
to convince them, how much better it was to owe an existence to
honest toil, than to be in incessant fears from the police,
which, sooner or later, catches all malefactors in its nets. I
added, that one crime generally leads to another; that he would
risk his neck who ran straight towards the guillotine; and the
termination of my discourse was, that they would do well to
renounce the dangerous career on which they had entered. 'Not
so bad!' cried Blondy, when I had finished my lecture, 'not so
bad.' 'But can you, in the mean time, point out to us any
apartment that we can ransack? We are, you see, like Harlequin,
and have more need of cash than advice;' and they left me,
laughing deridingly at me. I called them back, to profess my
attachment to them, and begged them not to call again at my
house. 'If that is all,' said Deluc, 'we will keep from
that.'--'Oh yes, we'll keep away,' added Blondy, 'since that is
unp