h, and he thought himself rich
for an indefinite time. Saint-Potin took him to the offices of four or
five rival papers, hoping that the news he had been commissioned to
obtain had been already received by them and that he could obtain it by
means of his diplomacy.

When evening came, Duroy, who had nothing more to do, turned toward the
Folies-Bergeres, and walking up to the office, he said: "My name is
Georges Duroy. I am on the staff of 'La Vie Francaise.' I was here the
other night with M. Forestier, who promised to get me a pass. I do not
know if he remembered it."

The register was consulted, but his name was not inscribed upon it.
However, the cashier, a very affable man, said to him: "Come in, M.
Duroy, and speak to the manager yourself; he will see that everything
is all right."

He entered and almost at once came upon Rachel, the woman he had seen
there before. She approached him: "Good evening, my dear; are you well?"

"Very well; how are you?"

"I am not ill. I have dreamed of you twice since the other night."

Duroy smiled. "What does that mean?"

"That means that I like you"; she raised her eyes to the young man's
face, took his arm and leaning upon it, said: "Let us drink a glass of
wine and then take a walk. I should like to go to the opera like this,
with you, to show you off."

* * * * * * *

At daybreak he again sallied forth to obtain a "Vie Francaise." He
opened the paper feverishly; his article was not there. On entering the
office several hours later, he said to M. Walter: "I was very much
surprised this morning not to see my second article on Algeria."

The manager raised his head and said sharply: "I gave it to your
friend, Forestier, and asked him to read it; he was dissatisfied with
it; it will have to be done over."

Without a word, Duroy left the room, and entering his friend's office,
brusquely asked: "Why did not my article appear this morning?"

The journalist, who was smoking a cigar, said calmly: "The manager did
not consider it good, and bade me return it to you to be revised. There
it is." Duroy revised it several times, only to have it rejected. He
said nothing more of his "souvenirs," but gave his whole attention to
reporting. He became acquainted behind the scenes at the theaters, and
in the halls and corridors of the chamber of deputies; he knew all the
cabinet ministers, generals, police agents, princes, ambassadors, men
of