lean, the street gay, and some of my friends live near; in
short, a thousand reasons attach me to these premises."

"But," and the landlord unfolded his receipt again, "there is that last
quarter's rent to pay."

"We shall pay it, sir. Such is our fixed intention."

Nevertheless, the landlord kept his eye glued to the money on the
mantelpiece and such was the steady pertinacity of his gaze that the
coins seemed to move towards him of themselves.

"I am happy to have come at a time when, without inconveniencing
yourself, you can settle this little affair," he said, again producing
his receipt to Marcel, who, not being able to parry the assault, again
avoided it.

"You have some property in the provinces, I think," he said.

"Very little, very little. A small house and farm in Burgundy; very
trifling returns; the tenants pay so badly, and therefore," he added,
pushing forward his receipt again, "this small sum comes just in time.
Sixty francs, you know."

"Yes," said Marcel, going to the mantelpiece and taking up three pieces
of gold. "Sixty, sixty it is," and he placed the money on the table just
out of the landlord's reach.

"At last," thought the latter. His countenance lighted up, and he too
laid down his receipt on the table.

Schaunard, Colline, and Rodolphe looked anxiously on.

"Well, sir," quoth Marcel, "since you are a Burgundian, you will not be
sorry to see a countryman of yours." He opened a bottle of old Macon,
and poured out a bumper.

"Ah, perfect!" said the landlord. "Really, I never tasted better."

"An uncle of mine who lives there, sends me a hamper or two
occasionally."

The landlord rose, and was stretching out his hand towards the money,
when Marcel stopped him again.

"You will not refuse another glass?" said he, pouring one out.

The landlord did not refuse. He drank the second glass, and was once
more attempting to possess himself of the money, when Marcel called out:

"Stop! I have an idea. I am rather rich just now, for me. My uncle in
Burgundy has sent me something over my usual allowance. Now I may spend
this money too fast. Youth has so many temptations, you know. Therefore,
if it is all the same to you, I will pay a quarter in advance." He took
sixty francs in silver and added them to the three louis which were on
the table.

"Then I will give you a receipt for the present quarter," said the
landlord. "I have some blank ones in my pocketbook. I will fill it up
and date