taught a trade."

Paul bit his lip; but he knew the portrait was a true one.

"And now," continued Mascarin, "I have come to your aid, and what do you
say to a situation with a salary of twelve thousand francs?"

This sum was so much greater than Paul had dared to hope, that he
believed Mascarin was amusing himself at his expense.

"It is not kind of you to laugh at me, under the present circumstances,"
remarked he.

Mascarin was not laughing at him; but it was fully half an hour before
he could prove this to Paul.

"You would like more proof of what I say," said he, after a long
conversation. "Very well, then; shall I advance your first month's
salary?" And as he spoke, he took a thousand-franc note from his desk,
and offered it to Paul. The young man rejected the note; but the force
of the argument struck him; and he asked if he was capable of carrying
out the duties which such a salary doubtless demanded.

"Were I not certain of your abilities, I should not offer it to you,"
replied Mascarin. "I am in a hurry now, or I would explain the whole
affair; but I must defer doing so until to-morrow, when please come at
the same hour as you did to-day."

Even in his state of surprise and stupefaction, Paul felt that this was
a signal for him to depart.

"A moment more," said Mascarin. "You understand that you can no longer
remain at the Hotel de Perou? Try and find a room in this neighborhood;
and when you have done so, leave the address at the office. Good-bye, my
young friend, until to-morrow, and learn to bear good fortune."

For a few minutes Mascarin stood at the door of the office watching
Paul, who departed almost staggering beneath the burden of so many
conflicting emotions; and when he saw him disappear round the corner, he
ran to a glazed door which led to his bed chamber, and in a loud whisper
called, "Come in, Hortebise. He has gone."

A man obeyed the summons at once, and hurriedly drew up a chair to the
fire. "My feet are almost frozen," exclaimed he; "I should not know
it if any one was to chop them off. Your room, my dear Baptiste, is a
perfect refrigerator. Another time, please, have a fire lighted in it."

This speech, however, did not disturb Mascarin's line of thought. "Did
you hear all?" asked he.

"I saw and heard all that you did."

"And what do you think of the lad?"

"I think that Daddy Tantaine is a man of observation and powerful will,
and that he will mould this child between his