ed to be passing through the hall. Hearing
the noise of a discussion, he thought that I was having some
difficulty with some of our stockholders, and he came in, as he
had a right to. Then I was compelled to confess everything."

He became excited at the sound of his words, like a horse at the
jingle of his bells. And, more and more beside himself:

"That is just what your creditors wished," he pursued. "They
thought I would be afraid of a row, and that I would 'come down.'
It is a system of blackmailing, like any other. An account is
opened to some young rascal; and, when the amount is reasonably
large, they take it to the family, saying, 'Money, or I make row.'
Do you think it is to you, who are penniless, that they give credit?
It's on my pocket that they were drawing,--on my pocket, because
they believed me rich. They sold you at exorbitant prices every
thing they wished; and they relied on me to pay for trousers at
ninety francs, shirts at forty francs, and watches at six hundred
francs."

Contrary to his habit, Maxence did not offer any denial.

"I expect to pay all I owe," he said.

"You!"

"I give my word I will!"

"And with what, pray?"

"With my salary."

"You have a salary, then?"

Maxence blushed.

"I have what I earn at my employer's."

"What employer?"

"The architect in whose office M. Chapelain helped me to find a
place."

With a threatening gesture, M. Favoral interrupted him.

"Spare me your lies," he uttered. "I am better posted than you
suppose. I know, that, over a month ago, your employer, tired of
your idleness, dismissed you in disgrace."

Disgrace was superfluous. The fact was, that Maxence, returning
to work after an absence of five days, had found another in his
place.

"I shall find another place," he said.

M. Favoral shrugged his shoulders with a movement of rage.

"And in the mean time," he said, "I shall have to pay. Do you know
what your creditors threaten to do?--to commence a suit against me.
They would lose it, of course, they know it; but they hope that I
would yield before a scandal. And this is not all: they talk of
entering a criminal complaint. They pretend that you have
audaciously swindled them; that the articles you purchased of them
were not at all for your own use, but that you sold them as fast as
you got them, at any price you could obtain, to raise ready money.
The jeweler has proofs, he says, that you went straight from his
shop t