sty note to Godeschal, telling him what had
happened to Oscar and inclosing a bank bill for five hundred francs to
repair his loss. The kind-hearted creature went to sleep after charging
her maid to carry the little note to Desroches' office before seven
o'clock in the morning. Godeschal, on his side, getting up at six and
finding that Oscar had not returned, guessed what had happened. He took
the five hundred francs from his own little hoard and rushed to the
Palais, where he obtained a copy of the judgment and returned in time to
lay it before Desroches by eight o'clock.

Meantime Desroches, who always rose at four, was in his office by seven.
Mariette's maid, not finding the brother of her mistress in his bedroom,
came down to the office and there met Desroches, to whom she very
naturally offered the note.

"Is it about business?" he said; "I am Monsieur Desroches."

"You can see, monsieur," replied the maid.

Desroches opened the letter and read it. Finding the five-hundred-franc
note, he went into his private office furiously angry with his second
clerk. About half-past seven he heard Godeschal dictating to the second
head-clerk a copy of the document in question, and a few moments later
the good fellow entered his master's office with an air of triumph in
his heart.

"Did Oscar Husson fetch the paper this morning from Simon?" inquired
Desroches.

"Yes, monsieur."

"Who gave him the money?"

"Why, you did, Saturday," replied Godeschal.

"Then it rains five-hundred-franc notes," cried Desroches. "Look here,
Godeschal, you are a fine fellow, but that little Husson does not
deserve such generosity. I hate idiots, but I hate still more the men
who will go wrong in spite of the fatherly care which watches over
them." He gave Godeschal Mariette's letter and the five-hundred-franc
note which she had sent. "You must excuse my having opened it," he said,
"but your sister's maid told me it was on business. Dismiss Husson."

"Poor unhappy boy! what grief he has caused me!" said Godeschal, "that
tall ne'er-do-well of a Georges Marest is his evil genius; he ought
to flee him like the plague; if not, he'll bring him to some third
disgrace."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Desroches.

Godeschal then related briefly the affair of the journey to Presles.

"Ah! yes," said the lawyer, "I remember Joseph Bridau told me that story
about the time it happened. It is to that meeting that we owe the favor
Monsieur de Se