perty of Boyer and Edwards. Thus,
then, there was no wonder at my astonishment when I found you in
possession of commercial securities to such a considerable amount, eh?"

"Never mind your astonishment, but come to the point."

"I am close upon it. I have enough experience or timidity not to be very
anxious to mix myself up with affairs of this nature; I therefore
advised you to consult a third party, who, no less clear-sighted than
myself, suspected the trick you desired to play him."

"Impossible! He would not have discounted the bills if he had believed
them forged."

"How much money down did you get for these hundred and thirteen thousand
francs?"

"Twenty-five thousand francs in ready money, and the rest in small debts
to collect."

"And how much of these small debts did you collect?"

"Nothing, as you very well know; they were fictitious; but still he
risked twenty-five thousand francs."

"How green you are, my dear vicomte! Having my commission of a hundred
louis to receive of you if the affair came off, I took very good care
not to say a word to No. 3 as to the real state of your affairs. Thus he
believed you entirely at your ease, and he, moreover, knew how you were
adored by a certain great lady, immensely rich, who would not allow you
to be left in any difficulties, and thus he was quite sure of
recovering at least as much as he advanced. He ran a risk, certainly, of
losing something, but he also ran a chance of gaining very considerably;
and his calculation was correct, for, the other day, you counted out to
him a hundred thousand francs, good and sound, in order to retire the
bill for fifty-eight thousand francs; and, yesterday, thirty thousand
francs for the second; for that he contented himself, it is true, with
the actual amount. How you raised these thirty thousand francs
yesterday, devil fetch me, if I can guess! But you are a wonderful
fellow! You see, now, that, to wind up the account, if Petit-Jean forces
you to pay the last bill of twenty-five thousand francs, he will have
received from you a hundred and fifty-five thousand francs for the
twenty-five thousand which he originally handed to you. So I was quite
right when I said that you had met with a person even more clever than
yourself."

"But why did he say that this last bill which he presents to-day was
negotiated?"

"That you might not take the alarm, he told you also that, except that
of fifty-eight thousand francs, the others we