e leading parts were played by his chief when a
political investigation was in the wind.

"Go 'vay," said Nucingen, dismissing his secretary with a wave of the
hand.

"Why should this man live in a mansion and I in a lodging?" wondered
Contenson to himself. "He has dodged his creditors three times; he has
robbed them; I never stole a farthing; I am a cleverer fellow than he
is----"

"Contenson, mein freund," said the Baron, "you haf vat you call pleed me
of one tousand-franc note."

"My girl owed God and the devil----"

"Vat, you haf a girl, a mistress!" cried Nucingen, looking at Contenson
with admiration not unmixed with envy.

"I am but sixty-six," replied Contenson, as a man whom vice has kept
young as a bad example.

"And vat do she do?"

"She helps me," said Contenson. "When a man is a thief, and an honest
woman loves him, either she becomes a thief or he becomes an honest man.
I have always been a spy."

"And you vant money--alvays?" asked Nucingen.

"Always," said Contenson, with a smile. "It is part of my business
to want money, as it is yours to make it; we shall easily come to an
understanding. You find me a little, and I will undertake to spend it.
You shall be the well, and I the bucket."

"Vould you like to haf one note for fife hundert franc?"

"What a question! But what a fool I am!--You do not offer it out of a
disinterested desire to repair the slights of Fortune?"

"Not at all. I gif it besides the one tousand-franc note vat you pleed
me off. Dat makes fifteen hundert franc vat I gif you."

"Very good, you give me the thousand francs I have had and you will add
five hundred francs."

"Yust so," said Nucingen, nodding.

"But that still leaves only five hundred francs," said Contenson
imperturbably.

"Dat I gif," added the Baron.

"That I take. Very good; and what, Monsieur le Baron, do you want for
it?"

"I haf been told dat dere vas in Paris one man vat could find the voman
vat I lof, and dat you know his address.... A real master to spy."

"Very true."

"Vell den, gif me dat address, and I gif you fife hundert franc."

"Where are they?" said Contenson.

"Here dey are," said the Baron, drawing a note out of his pocket.

"All right, hand them over," said Contenson, holding out his hand.

"Noting for noting! Le us see de man, and you get de money; you might
sell to me many address at dat price."

Contenson began to laugh.

"To be sure, you have a right to think that