llent Marie will muddle the whole affair, very
likely allow them to pick her brains and cajole the number out of her,
then one of these _messieurs_ will slip off and secure the reward."
Excitement got a strong hold upon Jean as this idea presented itself,
and his castles toppled over. "That's it, that's how it will go! And I
deserve it for having left such a delicate affair in the hands of a
woman. I could have managed it to a turn, and here I have let her go
off, and the whole thing will slip through her fingers. I could beat
myself with vexation."

In effect, he stamped his foot with such violence that Perine jumped up
and, looking round, saw him vanishing behind the curtains. She shrieked
with terror, "The man! Oh, it's the man!"

White as death, Jean rushed out and tried to calm her.

"Hush, child, hush! it's only me!"

But Perine was past all control, she screamed for "Mother!" for "M.
Plon!" until it seemed to Jean that not only the house but the whole
neighbourhood would presently be on him. He tried coaxing, he tried
menace, but Perine shrieked the more.

"Will you hold your tongue!" he cried, with a wild thought of strangling
her. "I'm a friend, I'm not the man; I won't touch you. Perine, Perine,
don't cry out so, look at me!"

At this appeal she hid her eyes with her hands.

"The man! the man! Mother! Help!" Nevertheless, though it seemed to poor
Jean that the very streets must tingle with her cries, it is possible,
for the upper-stories of the house had early risers for their dwellers,
that the deaf old woman left on the fifth floor might have heard
nothing; but unfortunately M. Plon had taken it into his head to make a
visitation to those uninhabited rooms of his in which some one had
housed his furniture, and at this moment was on his way. He knew that
Madame Didier was out, and Perine's screams seemed to point to fire or
something equally disastrous. The door was locked, but he had all his
keys about him, and soon succeeded in opening it, when Perine in a
transport of terror rushed at him, and flung herself into his arms with
a force which might have knocked over a less ponderous rescuer, and
effectually blocked the door at which Jean glanced longingly.

"_Hola!_" cried the astonished landlord. "_Que diable!_ A man in
Madame Didier's room! What's the meaning of all this? Police!"

Jean advanced with a threatening gesture, and the valiant Plon quickly
retreated. For one wild moment his lodger cont