t as Rodolphe was thundering out a song which he had found at the
bottom of his glass, there came several knocks at the door. Marcel,
torpid from incipient drunkenness, leaped up from his chair, and ran to
open it. Musette was not there.

A gentleman appeared on the threshold; he was not only bad looking, but
his dressing gown was wretchedly made. In his hand he held a slip of
paper.

"I am glad to see you so comfortable," he said, looking at the table on
which were the remains of a magnificent leg of mutton.

"The landlord!" cried Rodolphe. "Let us receive him with the honors due
to his position!" and he commenced beating on his plate with his knife
and fork.

Colline handed him a chair, and Marcel cried:

"Come, Schaunard! Pass us a clean glass. You are just in time," he
continued to the landlord, "we were going to drink to your health. My
friend there, Monsieur Colline, was saying some touching things about
you. As you are present, he will begin over again, out of compliment to
you. Do begin again, Colline."

"Excuse me, gentlemen," said the landlord, "I don't wish to trouble you,
but---" and he unfolded the paper which he had in his hand.

"What's the document?" asked Marcel.

The landlord, who had cast an inquisitive glance around the room,
perceived some gold on the chimney piece.

"It is your receipt," he said hastily, "which I had the honor of
sending you once already."

"My faithful memory recalls the circumstance," replied the artist. "It
was on Friday, the eighth of the month, at a quarter past twelve."

"It is signed, you see, in due form," said the landlord, "and if it is
agreeable to you--"

"I was intending to call upon you," interrupted Marcel. "I have a great
deal to talk to you about."

"At your service."

"Oblige me by taking something," continued the painter, forcing a glass
of wine on the landlord. "Now, sir," he continued, "you sent me lately a
little paper, with a picture of a lady and a pair of scales on it. It
was signed Godard."

"The lawyer's name."

"He writes a very bad hand; I had to get my friend here, who understands
all sorts of hieroglyphics and foreign languages,"--and he pointed to
Colline--"to translate it for me."

"It was a notice to quit; a precautionary measure, according to the rule
in such cases."

"Exactly. Now I wanted to have a talk with you about this very notice,
for which I should like to substitute a lease. This house suits me. The
staircase is c