ed lovingly.

Then he walked home swiftly, asking himself what plan he could hit on
the morrow to get out of his difficulty. But as he opened the door of
his room, and fumbled in his waistcoat pocket for a match, he was
stupefied to find a coin under his fingers. As soon as he had a light he
hastened to examine it. It was a louis. He thought he must be mad. He
turned it over and over, seeking by what miracle it could have found
its way there. It could not, however, have fallen from heaven into his
pocket.

Then all at once he guessed, and an angry indignation awoke within him.
His mistress had spoken of money slipping into the lining, and being
found in times of poverty. It was she who had tendered him this alms.
How shameful! He swore: "Ah! I'll talk to her the day after to-morrow.
She shall have a nice time over it."

And he went to bed, his heart filled with anger and humiliation.

He woke late. He was hungry. He tried to go to sleep again, in order not
to get up till two o'clock, and then said to himself: "That will not
forward matters. I must end by finding some money." Then he went out,
hoping that an idea might occur to him in the street. It did not; but at
every restaurant he passed a longing to eat made his mouth water. As by
noon he had failed to hit on any plan, he suddenly made up his mind: "I
will lunch out of Clotilde's twenty francs. That won't hinder me from
paying them back to-morrow."

He, therefore, lunched for two francs fifty centimes. On reaching the
office he also gave three francs to the messenger, saying: "Here,
Foucart, here is the money you lent me last night for my cab."

He worked till seven o'clock. Then he went and dined taking another
three francs. The two evening bocks brought the expenditure of the day
up to nine francs thirty centimes. But as he could not re-establish a
credit or create fresh resources in twenty-four hours, he borrowed
another six francs fifty centimes the next day from the twenty he was
going to return that very evening, so that he came to keep his
appointment with just four francs twenty centimes in his pocket.

He was in a deuce of a temper, and promised himself that he would pretty
soon explain things. He would say to his mistress: "You know, I found
the twenty francs you slipped into my pocket the other day. I cannot
give them back to you now, because my situation is unaltered, and I have
not had time to occupy myself with money matters. But I will give the