he was
known--Beaumarchef, his original name being David. He was about
forty-five, but was still considered a very good-looking fellow. The
entries that he was making in the ledger did not prevent him from
keeping up a conversation with the woman standing by him. The woman,
who seemed to be a cross between a cook and a market-woman, might be
described as a thoroughly jovial soul. She seasoned her conversation
with pinches of snuff, and spoke with a strong Alsatian brogue.

"Now, look here," said Beaumarchef; "do you really mean to say that you
want a place?"

"I do that."

"You said that six months ago. We got you a splendid one, and three days
afterward you chucked up the whole concern."

"And why shouldn't I? There was no need to work then; but now it is
another pair of shoes, for I have spent nearly all I had saved."

Beaumarchef laid down his pen, and eyed her curiously for a second or
two; then he said,--

"You've been making a fool of yourself somehow, I expect."

She half turned away her head, and began to complain of the hardness
of the terms and of the meanness of the mistresses, who, instead of
allowing their cooks to do the marketing, did it themselves, and so
cheated their servants out of their commissions.

Beaumarchef nodded, just as he had done half an hour before to a lady
who had complained bitterly of the misconduct of her servants. He was
compelled by his position to sympathize with both sides.

The woman had now finished her tirade, and drawing the amount of the fee
from a well-filled purse, placed it on the table, saying,--

"Please, M. Beaumarchef, register my name as Caroline Scheumal, and get
me a real good place. It must be a cook, you understand, and I want to
do the marketing without the missus dodging around."

"Well, I'll do my best."

"Try and find me a wealthy widower, or a young woman married to a very
old fellow. Now, do look round; I'll drop in again to-morrow;" and with
a farewell pinch of snuff, she left the office.

Paul listened to this conversation with feelings of anger and
humiliation, and in his heart cursed old Tantaine for having introduced
him into such company. He was seeking for some plausible excuse for
withdrawal, when the door at the end of the room was thrown open, and
two men came in, talking as they did so. The one was young and well
dressed, with an easy, swaggering manner, which ignorant people mistake
for good breeding. He had a many-colored rosett