some released convicts
about the town.

Peyrade and his Mentor, as they went in, heard Contenson's voice arguing
with Madame du Val-Noble's maid. Peyrade signed to Carlos to remain
in the outer room, with a look meant to convey: "Thus you can assure
yourself of my sincerity."

"Madame agrees to everything," said Adele. "Madame is at this moment
calling on a friend, Madame de Champy, who has some rooms in the Rue
Taitbout on her hands for a year, full of furniture, which she will let
her have, no doubt. Madame can receive Mr. Johnson more suitably there,
for the furniture is still very decent, and monsieur might buy it for
madame by coming to an agreement with Madame de Champy."

"Very good, my girl. If this is not a job of fleecing, it is a bit of
the wool," said the mulatto to the astonished woman. "However, we will
go shares----"

"That is your darkey all over!" cried Mademoiselle Adele. "If your nabob
is a nabob, he can very well afford to give madame the furniture. The
lease ends in April 1830; your nabob may renew it if he likes."

"I am quite willing," said Peyrade, speaking French with a strong
English accent, as he came in and tapped the woman on the shoulder.

He cast a knowing look back at Carlos, who replied by an assenting nod,
understanding that the nabob was to keep up his part.

But the scene suddenly changed its aspect at the entrance of a person
over whom neither Carlos nor Peyrade had the least power. Corentin
suddenly came in. He had found the door open, and looked in as he went
by to see how his old friend played his part as nabob.

"The Prefet is still bullying me!" said Peyrade in a whisper to
Corentin. "He has found me out as a nabob."

"We will spill the Prefet," Corentin muttered in reply.

Then after a cool bow he stood darkly scrutinizing the magistrate.

"Stay here till I return," said Carlos; "I will go to the Prefecture. If
you do not see me again, you may go your own way."

Having said this in an undertone to Peyrade, so as not to humiliate him
in the presence of the waiting-maid, Carlos went away, not caring to
remain under the eye of the newcomer, in whom he detected one of those
fair-haired, blue-eyed men, coldly terrifying.

"That is the peace-officer sent after me by the Prefet," said Peyrade.

"That?" said Corentin. "You have walked into a trap. That man has three
packs of cards in his shoes; you can see that by the place of his foot
in the shoe; besides, a peace-off