pile of papers, letters, cards, newspapers,
magazines, bills, and printed matter of every description.

Forestier shook hands with the punters standing behind the card players,
and without saying a word watched the progress of the game; then, as
soon as Daddy Walter had won, he said: "Here is my friend, Duroy."

The manager glanced sharply at the young fellow over the glasses of his
spectacles, and said:

"Have you brought my article? It would go very well to-day with the
Morel debate."

Duroy took the sheets of paper folded in four from his pocket, saying:
"Here it is sir."

The manager seemed pleased, and remarked, with a smile: "Very good, very
good. You are a man of your word. You must look through this for me,
Forestier."

But Forestier hastened to reply: "It is not worth while, Monsieur
Walter. I did it with him to give him a lesson in the tricks of the
trade. It is very well done."

And the manager, who was gathering up the cards dealt by a tall, thin
gentleman, a deputy belonging to the Left Center, remarked with
indifference: "All right, then."

Forestier, however, did not let him begin the new game, but stooping,
murmured in his ear: "You know you promised me to take on Duroy to
replace Marambot. Shall I engage him on the same terms?"

"Yes, certainly."

Taking his friend's arm, the journalist led him away, while Monsieur
Walter resumed the game.

Norbert de Varenne had not lifted his head; he did not appear to have
seen or recognized Duroy. Jacques Rival, on the contrary, had taken his
hand with the marked and demonstrative energy of a comrade who may be
reckoned upon in the case of any little difficulty.

They passed through the waiting-room again, and as everyone looked at
them, Forestier said to the youngest of the women, in a tone loud enough
to be heard by the rest: "The manager will see you directly. He is just
now engaged with two members of the Budget Committee."

Then he passed swiftly on, with an air of hurry and importance, as
though about to draft at once an article of the utmost weight.

As soon as they were back in the reporters' room Forestier at once took
up his cup and ball, and as he began to play with it again, said to
Duroy, breaking his sentences in order to count: "You will come here
every day at three o'clock, and I will tell you the places you are to go
to, either during the day or in the evening, or the next morning--one--I
will give you, first of all, a letter of i