pleased, and so little troublesome, that I know you will say, 'Why,
after all, I may as well spend my Sunday with her as with any one else.'
If you have any time in the evening, and have no objection to come and
sit with me, you can have the use of my fire and light. If it would not
tire you to read aloud, you would amuse me by reading some nice novel or
romance. Better do that than lose your money at cards or billiards;
otherwise, if you are occupied at your office, or prefer going to a
cafe, you can just bid me good night when you come in, if I happen still
to be up; but should I have gone to bed, why then I will wish you good
morning at an early hour next day, by tapping against your wainscot to
awaken you. Why, M. Germain, my last fellow lodger, used to pass all his
evenings with me in that manner, and never complained of their being
dull. He read me all Walter Scott's novels in the course of the winter,
which was really very amusing. Sometimes, when it chanced to be a wet
Sunday, he would go and buy something at the pastry-cook's, and we used
to have a nice little dinner in my room; and afterwards we amused
ourselves with reading; and we liked that almost as well as going to the
theatre. You see by this that I am not hard to please, but, on the
contrary, am always ready to do what I can to make things pleasant and
agreeable. And then you were talking about illness. Oh, if ever you
should be ill, then, indeed, I should be a comfort to you, a real Sister
of Charity! Only ask the Morels what sort of a nurse I am. You don't
half know your own good fortune, M. Rodolph; you have drawn a real prize
in the lottery of good luck to have me for a neighbour, I can assure
you."

"I quite agree with you; but I always was lucky. Apropos of your late
fellow lodger, M. Germain, where is he at present?"

"In Paris, I believe."

"Then you do not see much of him now?"

"No, he has never been to see me since he quitted the house."

"But where is he living? And what is he doing at present?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because," said Rodolph, smiling, "I am jealous of him, and I wish--"

"Jealous!" exclaimed Rigolette, bursting into a fit of laughter. "La,
bless you, there is no occasion for that, poor fellow!"

"But, seriously, my good neighbour, I wish most particularly to obtain
M. Germain's address, or to be enabled to meet him. You know where he
lives; and without any boast, I think I have good reason to expect you
would