"Yes," murmured Gervaise, "I gave it to them." "It's all right then," said Aubry, "and now let us hope that God will do the rest." Having escorted Gervaise to her abode and comforted her as best he could for the false testimony she had been compelled to give, Jacques Aubry returned home, overflowing with faith in Providence. In fact, whether Providence took a hand in it, or chance did it all, Jacques Aubry received the next morning a summons to appear before the lieutenant criminal that same day. This summons fulfilled Aubry's dearest hopes, and yet a court of justice is so redoubtable a place that he felt a shiver run through his veins as he read it. But we hasten to say that the certainty of seeing Ascanio again, and the longing to save the friend upon whom he had brought disaster, soon put an end to this demonstration of weakness on our student's part. The summons fixed the hour of noon, and it was only nine o'clock: so he called upon Gervaise, whom he found no less agitated than on the previous day. "Well?" said she, inquiringly. "Well!" repeated Jacques triumphantly, exhibiting the paper covered with hieroglyphics which he held in his hand. "Here it is." "For what hour?" "Noon. That's all I was able to read." "Then you don't know what you're accused of?" "Why, of seducing you, my little Gervaise, I presume." "You won't forget that you yourself insisted upon my doing it?" "Why no; I am ready to give you a certificate that you utterly refused to do it." "Then you bear me no ill will for obeying you." "On the contrary, I couldn't be more grateful to you." "Whatever happens?" "Whatever happens." "If I did say all that, it was because I was obliged to." "Of course." "And if, in my confusion, I said more than I meant to say, you will forgive me?" "Not only will I forgive you, my dear, my divine Gervaise, but I do forgive you now in advance." "Ah!" said Gervaise, with a sigh; "ah! bad boy, with such words as those you turned my head!" From which it is easy to see that Gervaise had really been seduced. At a quarter before twelve Jacques Aubry remembered that his summons bade him appear at twelve. He took leave of Gervaise, and as he had a long distance to go he ran all the way. Twelve o'clock was striking as he knocked at the lieutenant criminal's door. "Come in!" cried the same nasal voice. He was not called upon to repeat the invitation, for Jacques Aubry, with a smile on his lips, his nose in the air, and his cap over his ear, at once stood in the tall black-coated man's presence. "What is your name?" asked the tall man. "Jacques Aubry," replied the student. "What are you?" "Law student." "What have you been doing?" "Seducing girls." "Aha! you're the man against whom a complaint was lodged yesterday by--by--" "By Gervaise-Perrette Popinot." "Very good; sit down yonder and await your turn." Jacques sat down as the man in black bade him do, and waited.