ength deposited his machines with the
angelic musician.

Every time he left his house in the Rue St. Jacques, Arcade found a man
of exaggerated smartness at his door, with yellow gloves and in his tie
a diamond bigger than the Regent. Being a stranger to the things of this
world, the rebellious angel paid no attention to the circumstance. But
young Maurice d'Esparvieu, who had undertaken the task of guarding his
guardian-angel, viewed this gentleman with uneasiness, for he equalled
in assiduity and surpassed in vigilance that Monsieur Mignon who had
formerly allowed his inquisitive gaze to wander from the rams' heads on
the Hotel de la Sordiere in the Rue Garanciere to the apse of the church
of St. Sulpice. Maurice came two and three times a day to see Arcade in
his furnished rooms, warning him of the danger, and urging him to change
his abode.

Every evening he took his angel to night restaurants, where they supped
with ladies of easy virtue. There young d'Esparvieu would foretell the
issue of some coming glove-fight, and afterwards exert himself to
demonstrate to Arcade the existence of God, the necessity for religion,
and the beauties of Christianity, and adjure him to renounce his impious
and criminal undertakings wherefrom, he said, he would reap but
bitterness and disappointment.

"For really," said the young apologist, "if Christianity were false it
would be known."

The ladies approved of Maurice's religious sentiments, and when the
handsome Arcade uttered some blasphemy in language they could
understand, they put their hands to their ears and bade him be silent,
for fear of being struck down with him. For they believed that God, in
his omnipotence and sovereign goodness, taking sudden vengeance against
those who insulted him, was quite capable of striking down the innocent
with the guilty without meaning it.

Sometimes the angel and his guardian took supper with the angelic
musician. Maurice, who remembered from time to time that he was
Bouchotte's lover, was displeased to see Arcade taking liberties with
the singer. She had allowed him to do so ever since the day when, the
angelic musician having had the little flowery couch repaired, Arcade
and Bouchotte had made it a foundation for their friendship. Maurice,
who loved Madame des Aubels a great deal, also loved Bouchotte a little,
and was rather jealous of Arcade. Now jealousy is a feeling natural to
man and beast, and causes them, however slight the at