id you not promise to give
up begging?"

"Beg pardon, guv'nor, I meant to be on the square, but I didn't like to
waste time while I was a-waiting. I don't like a-being idle and I have
copped seven browns."

"Toto Chupin," said the old man, with great severity, "you will
certainly come to a bad end. But come, give your report. What have you
seen?"

During this conversation they were walking slowly along the quay, and
had passed the Hotel Dieu.

"Well, guv'nor," replied the young rogue, "I just saw what you said I
should. At four sharp, a carriage drove into the Place, and pulled
up bang opposite the wigmaker's. Dash me, if it weren't a swell
turnout!--horse, coachman, and all, in real slap-up style. It waited so
long that I thought it had taken root there."

"Come, get on! Was there any one inside?"

"I should think there was! I twigged him at once, by the description
you gave me. I never see a cove togged out as he was,--tall hat, light
sit-down-upons, and a short coat--wasn't it cut short! but in really
bang-up style. To be certain, I went right up to him, for it was getting
dark, and had a good look at him. He had got out of the trap, and was
marching up and down the pavement, with an unlighted cigar stuck in his
mouth. I took a match, and said, 'Have a light, my noble swell?' and
hanged if he didn't give me ten centimes! My! ain't he ugly!--short,
shrivelled up, and knock-kneed, with a glass in his eye, and altogether
precious like a monkey."

Daddy Tantaine began to grow impatient with all this rigmarole. "Come,
tell me what took place," said he angrily.

"Precious little. The young swell didn't seem to care about dirtying his
trotter-cases; he kept slashing about with his cane, and staring at
all the gals. What an ass that masher is! Wouldn't I have liked to have
punched his head! If you ever want to hide him, daddy, please think of
yours truly. He wouldn't stand up to me for five minutes."

"Go on, my lad; go on."

"Well, we had waited half an hour, when all at once a woman came sharp
round the corner, and stops before the masher. Wasn't she a fine gal!
and hadn't she a pair of sparklers! but she had awfully seedy togs on.
But they spoke in whispers."

"So you did not hear what they said?"

"Do you take me for a flat? The gal said, 'Do you
understand?--to-morrow.' Then the swell chap, says he, 'Do you promise?'
and the gal, she answers back, 'Yes, at noon.' Then they parted. She
went off to the Ru