The next
day Marcel drew from Medicis the price of eighteen corporal's
likenesses, at six francs each.

Marcel and Rodolphe had all the difficulty in the world to hide their
good fortune.

"It seems to me that I sweat gold," said the poet.

"It is the same with me," said Marcel. "If Schaunard delays much longer,
it would be impossible for me to continue to play the part of the
anonymous Croesus."

But the very next morning saw Schaunard arrive, splendidly attired in a
bright yellow nankeen jacket.

"Good heavens!" exclaimed Phemie, dazzled on seeing her lover so
elegantly got up, "where did you find that jacket?"

"I found it amongst my papers," replied the musician, making a sign to
his two friends to follow him. "I have drawn the coin," said he, when
they were alone. "Behold it," and he displayed a handful of gold.

"Well," exclaimed Marcel, "forward, let us sack the shops. How happy
Musette will be."

"How pleased Mimi will be," added Rodolphe. "Come, are you coming
Schaunard?"

"Allow me to reflect," replied the musician. "In decking out these
ladies with the thousand caprices of fashion, we shall perhaps be guilty
of a mistake. Think on it. Are you not afraid that when they resemble
the engravings in 'The Scarf of Iris,' these splendors will exercise a
deplorable influence upon their characters, and does it suit young
fellows like us to behave towards women as if we were aged and wrinkled
dotards? It is not that I hesitate about sacrificing fifteen or eighteen
francs to dress Phemie; but I tremble. When she has a new bonnet she
will not even recognize me, perhaps. She looks so well with only a
flower in her hair. What do you think about it, philosopher?" broke off
Schaunard, addressing Colline, who had come in within the last few
minutes.

"Ingratitude is the offspring of kindness," observed the philosopher.

"On the other hand," continued Schaunard, "when your mistresses are well
dressed, what sort of figure will you cut beside them in your
dilapidated costumes? You will look like their waiting maids. I do not
speak for myself," he broke off, drawing himself up in his nankeen
jacket, "for thank heaven, I could go anywhere now."

However, despite the spirit of opposition shown by Schaunard, it was
once more agreed that the next day all the shops of the neighborhood
should be ransacked to the advantage of the ladies.

And, indeed, the next day, at the very moment that we have seen, at the
beginning