eral times befriended. Cayron wished nothing better than to
confine himself to the ground-floor and let the rich perfumer take the
floor above it, thus diminishing his rent.

"Well, neighbor," said Birotteau familiarly, as he entered the man's
shop, "my wife consents to the enlargement of our premises. If you like,
we will go and see Monsieur Molineux at eleven o'clock."

"My dear Monsieur Birotteau," said the umbrella-man, "I have not asked
you any compensation for this cession; but you are aware that a good
merchant ought to make money out of everything."

"What the devil!" cried Birotteau. "I'm not made of money. I don't
know that my architect can do the thing at all. He told me that before
concluding my arrangements I must know whether the floors were on the
same level. Then, supposing Monsieur Molineux does allow me to cut
a door in the wall, is it a party-wall? Moreover, I have to turn my
staircase, and make a new landing, so as to get a passage-way on the
same floor. All that costs money, and I don't want to ruin myself."

"Oh, monsieur," said the southerner. "Before you are ruined, the sun
will have married the earth and they'll have had children."

Birotteau stroked his chin, rose on the points of his toes, and fell
back upon his heels.

"Besides," resumed Cayron, "all I ask you to do is to cash these
securities for me--"

And he held out sixteen notes amounting in all to five thousand francs.

"Ah!" said the perfumer turning them over. "Small fry, two months, three
months--"

"Take them as low as six per cent," said the umbrella-man humbly.

"Am I a usurer?" asked the perfumer reproachfully.

"What can I do, monsieur? I went to your old clerk, du Tillet, and he
would not take them at any price. No doubt he wanted to find out how
much I'd be willing to lose on them."

"I don't know those signatures," said the perfumer.

"We have such queer names in canes and umbrellas; they belong to the
peddlers."

"Well, I won't say that I will take all; but I'll manage the short
ones."

"For the want of a thousand francs--sure to be repaid in four
months--don't throw me into the hands of the blood-suckers who get the
best of our profits; do take all, monsieur! I do so little in the way of
discount that I have no credit; that is what kills us little retailers."

"Well, I'll cash your notes; Celestin will make out the account. Be
ready at eleven, will you? There's my architect, Monsieur Grindot," said
the p