ton de
Gandelu in the courtyard. He was just the same looking Gaston, the lover
of Madame de Chantemille, to the outward eye, but some grave calamity
had evidently entirely changed the inner man. He was smoking his cigar
with an air of desperation, and seemed to be utterly weary of the world
and its belongings.

At the moment Andre entered the young man caught sight of him.

"Halloo!" said he; "here is my artistic friend. I lay ten to one that
you have come to ask my father to do you a favor."

"You are quite right; is he at home?"

"The governor is in the sulks; he has shut himself up, and will not see
me."

"You are joking."

"Not I; the old man is a regular despot, and I am sick of everything."

Noticing that one of the grooms was listening, Gaston had sufficient
sense to draw Andre a little on one side.

"Do you know," asked he, "that the governor has docked my screw and vows
that he will advertise himself as not responsible for the debts of yours
truly; but I cannot think he will do so, for that would be a regular
smash-up for me. You haven't such a trifle as ten thousand francs about
you that you could lend me, have you? I'd give twenty thousand for the
accommodation when I came of age."

"I must say--," began Andre.

"All right; never mind; I understand. If you had the ready, you wouldn't
be hanging about here; but for all that, I must have the cash. Hang it
all, I signed bills to that amount payable to Verminet. Do you know the
fellow?"

"Not at all."

"Where were you dragged up? Why, he is the head of the Mutual Loan
Society. The only nuisance is, that to make matters run a bit smooth, I
wrote down the wrong name. Do you tumble, eh?"

"But, great heavens! that is forgery," said Andre, aghast.

"Not a bit, for I always intended to pay; besides, I wanted the money to
square Van Klopen. You know _him_, I suppose?"

"No."

"Well, he is the chap to dress a girl. I had those costumes for Zora
from him; but it is out and out the governor's fault. Why did he
drive me to desperation? Yes, it is all the old man's doing. He wasn't
satisfied with pitching into me, but he collared that poor, helpless
lamb and shut her up. She never did him any harm, and I call it a right
down cowardly and despicable act to hurt Zora."

"Zora," repeated Andre, who did not recognize the name.

"Yes, Zora; you know; you had a feed with us one day."

"Yes, yes; you mean Rose."

"That's it; but I don't like any one to