e date as well as the
number."

"Yes, yes, I see," returned the grocer. "You may require my books as
corroborative evidence; that is often the way. Excuse me; I will be back
directly."

All that Daddy Tantaine had desired was executed with the greatest
rapidity, and he and the grocer parted on the best terms, and the
tradesman watched his visitor's departure, perfectly satisfied that he
had been assisting a police officer who had deemed it fit to assume a
disguise. Daddy Tantaine cared little what he thought, and, gaining the
Place de Petit Pont, stopped and gazed around as if he was waiting for
some one. Twice he walked round it in vain; but in his third circuit he
came to a halt with an exclamation of satisfaction, for he had seen the
person of whom he had been in search, who was a detestable looking
youth of about eighteen years of age, though so thin and stunted that he
hardly appeared to be fifteen.

The lad was leaning against the wall of the Quay St. Michel, openly
asking alms, but keeping a sharp lookout for the police. At the first
glance it was easy to detect in him the hideous outgrowth of the great
city, the regular young rough of Paris, who, at eight years of age,
smokes the butt ends of cigars picked up at the tavern doors and
gets tipsy on coarse spirits. He had a thin crop of sandy hair, his
complexion was dull and colorless, and a sneer curled the corners of
his mouth, which had a thick, hanging underlip, and his eyes had an
expression in them of revolting cynicism. His dress was tattered and
dirty, and he had rolled up the sleeve of his right arm, exhibiting a
deformed limb, sufficiently repulsive to excite the pity of the passers
by. He was repeating a monotonous whine, in which the words "poor
workman, arm destroyed by machinery, aged mother to support," occurred
continually.

Daddy Tantaine walked straight up to the youth, and with a sound cuff
sent his hat flying.

The lad turned sharply round, evidently in a terrible rage; but,
recognizing his assailant, shrank back, and muttered to himself,
"Landed!" In an instant he restored his arm to its originally healthy
condition, and, picking up his cap, replaced it on his head, and humbly
waited for fresh orders.

"Is this the way you execute your errands?" asked Daddy Tantaine,
snarling.

"What errands? I have heard of none!"

"Never you mind that. Did not M. Mascarin, on my recommendation, put you
in the way of earning your livelihood? and d