y.
Meanwhile the bandy-legged creature went up familiarly to the giver of
holy-water and offered him a pinch of snuff; then without paying any
further attention to me, he limped to a low door at the side of the
church and disappeared. The evident pains this deformed being had taken
to fix the organist's attention upon me seemed to me a revelation.
Evidently, the _maestro_ knew of the singular manner by which my
quarterly stipend had reached me; which stipend, I should tell you, had
been regularly continued until my orders for work so increased as to put
me beyond all necessity. It was not improbable therefore that this man,
who listened to me at the Cafe des Arts, was the repository of other
secrets relating to my early life; and I became most eager to obtain an
explanation from him; all the more because, as I was now living on
my own resources, my curiosity could not be punished, as formerly
threatened, by the withdrawal of my subsidy.

Making my decision quickly, I followed the organist at once; but by the
time I reached the door of the church he was out of sight. However, my
luck prompted me to follow the direction he had taken, and as I reached
the quai de Bethune I saw him to my great joy rapping at the door of
a house. Entering resolutely after him, I asked the porter for the
organist of Saint-Louis-de-l'Ile.

"Monsieur Jacques Bricheteau?"

"Yes; Monsieur Jacques Bricheteau; he lives here I believe."

"Fourth floor above the entresol, door to the left. He has just come in,
and you can overtake him on the stairs."

Rapidly as I ran up, my man had the key of his door already in the lock
when I reached him.

"Have I the honor of speaking to Monsieur Jacques Bricheteau?" I asked.

"Don't know any such person," he replied with effrontery, unlocking his
door.

"Perhaps I pronounce the name incorrectly; I mean the organist of
Saint-Louis-de-l'Ile."

"I have never heard of any organist in this house."

"Pardon me, monsieur, there is one, for the concierge has just told me
so. Besides I saw you leave the organ loft of that church followed by an
individual who--"

Before I could finish my sentence this singular individual cut short our
interview by entering his apartment and locking the door behind him. For
a moment I thought that I must have been mistaken; but on reflection
I saw that a mistake was impossible. I had to do with a man who, for
years, had proved his unremitting discretion. No, he was obstinatel