drels, but I hope
to crush them yet."

In telling this secret Theodose, though alarmed as he did so, had a
two-fold purpose: first, to test Thuillier; and next, to avert the
consequences of a fatal blow which might be dealt to him any day in
a secret and sinister struggle he had long foreseen. Two words will
explain his horrible position.

CHAPTER XII. DEVILS AGAINST DEVILS

During the extreme poverty of la Peyrade's first years in Paris, none
but Cerizet had ever gone to see him in the wretched garret where, in
severely cold weather, he stayed in bed for want of clothes. Only one
shirt remained to him. For three days he lived on one loaf of bread,
cutting it into measured morsels, and asking himself, "What am I to do?"
At this moment it was that his former partner came to him, having just
left prison, pardoned. The projects which the two men then formed before
a fire of laths, one wrapped in his landlady's counterpane, the other
in his infamy, it is useless to relate. The next day Cerizet, who had
talked with Dutocq in the course of the morning, returned, bringing
trousers, waistcoat, coat, hat, and boots, bought in the Temple, and
he carried off Theodose to dine with himself and Dutocq. The hungry
Provencal ate at Pinson's, rue de l'Ancienne Comedie, half of a dinner
costing forty-seven francs. At dessert, after Theodose had drunk freely,
Cerizet said to him:--

"Will you sign me bills of exchange for fifty thousand francs in your
capacity as a barrister?"

"You couldn't get five thousand on them."

"That's not your affair, but ours; I mean monsieur's here, who is giving
us this dinner, and mine, in a matter where you risk nothing, but in
which you'll get your title as barrister, a fine practice, and the hand
in marriage of a girl about the age of an old dog, and rich by twenty or
thirty thousand francs a year. Neither Dutocq nor I can marry her; but
we'll equip you, give you the look of a decent man, feed and lodge you,
and set you up generally. Consequently, we want security. I don't say
that on my own account, for I know you, but for monsieur here, whose
proxy I am. We'll equip you as a pirate, hey! to do the white-slave
trade! If we can't capture that 'dot,' we'll try other plans. Between
ourselves, none of us need be particular what we touch--that's plain
enough. We'll give you careful instructions; for the matter is certain
to take time, and there'll probably be some bother about it. Here, see,
I h