for
the cook had gone, and the coachman and servants had taken leave. They
could not sell the furniture, for it had been attached; there was not
a single object of any value in the house. A goodly collection of
pawntickets, forming a very instructive octavo volume, represented all
the gold, silver, and jewelry. Berenice had kept back a couple of spoons
and forks, that was all.

Lousteau's newspaper was of service now to Coralie and Lucien, little as
they suspected it; for the tailor, dressmaker, and milliner were afraid
to meddle with a journalist who was quite capable of writing down their
establishments.

Etienne Lousteau broke in upon their breakfast with a shout of "Hurrah!
Long live _The Archer of Charles IX._! And I have converted a hundred
francs worth of books into cash, children. We will go halves."

He handed fifty francs to Coralie, and sent Berenice out in quest of a
more substantial breakfast.

"Hector Merlin and I went to a booksellers' trade dinner yesterday, and
prepared the way for your romance with cunning insinuations. Dauriat is
in treaty, but Dauriat is haggling over it; he won't give more than
four thousand francs for two thousand copies, and you want six thousand
francs. We made you out twice as great as Sir Walter Scott! Oh! you have
such novels as never were in the inwards of you. It is not a mere book
for sale, it is a big business; you are not simply the writer of one
more or less ingenious novel, you are going to write a whole series. The
word 'series' did it! So, mind you, don't forget that you have a great
historical series on hand--_La Grande Mademoiselle_, or _The France of
Louis Quatorze_; _Cotillon I._, or _The Early Days of Louis Quinze_;
_The Queen and the Cardinal_, or _Paris and the Fronde_; _The Son of the
Concini_, or _Richelieu's Intrigue_. These novels will be announced on
the wrapper of the book. We call this manoeuvre 'giving a success a toss
in the coverlet,' for the titles are all to appear on the cover, till
you will be better known for the books that you have not written than
for the work you have done. And 'In the Press' is a way of gaining
credit in advance for work that you will do. Come, now, let us have a
little fun! Here comes the champagne. You can understand, Lucien, that
our men opened eyes as big as saucers. By the by, I see that you have
saucers still left."

"They are attached," explained Coralie.

"I understand, and I resume. Show a publisher one manusc