t us go at once; if she gets into a
temper she is sure to have a nervous attack, so let us hurry up."

Rose did all she could to dazzle Andre, and as a commencement exhibited
to him her domestics, a cook and a maid; then he was shown every article
of furniture, and not one was spared him. He was forced to admire the
drawing-room suite covered with old gold silk, trimmed blue, and to test
the thickness of the curtains. Bearing aloft a large candelabra, and
covering himself with wax, Gandelu led the way, telling them the price
of everything like an energetic tradesman.

"That clock," said he, "cost me a hundred louis, and dirt cheap at the
price. How funny that you should have known my father! Has he not
a wonderful intellect? That flower stand was three hundred francs,
absolutely given away. Take care of the governor, he is as sharp as a
needle. He wanted me to have a profession, but no, thank you. Yes, that
occasional table was a bargain at twenty louis. Six months ago I thought
that the old man would have dropped off, but now the doctors say--" He
stopped suddenly, for a loud noise was heard in the vestibule. "Here
come the fellows I invited," cried he, and placing the candelabra on the
table, he hurried from the room.

Andre was delighted at so grand an opportunity of studying the _genus_
masher. Rose felt flattered by the admiration her fine rooms evidently
caused.

"You see," cried she, "I have left Paul; he bothered me awfully, and
ended by half starving me."

"Why, you are joking; he came here to-day, and said he was earning
twelve thousand francs a year."

"Twelve thousand humbugs. A fellow that will take five hundred francs
from an old scarecrow he never met before is--"

Rose broke off abruptly, for at that moment young Gandelu brought in his
friends, and introduced them; they were all of the same type as
their host, and Andre was about to study them more intently, when a
white-waistcoated waiter threw open the door, exclaiming pompously,
"Madame, the dinner is on the table."

CHAPTER X.

"YOU ARE A THIEF."

When Mascarin was asked what was the best way to achieve certain
results, his invariable reply was, "Keep moving, keep moving." He had
one great advantage over other men, he put in practice the doctrines he
preached, and at seven o'clock the morning after his interview with the
Count de Mussidan he was hard at work in his room. A thick fog hung over
the city, even penetrating into the offic