“I don’t understand you,” answered Perpignan, in whose voice a shade of anxiety now began to appear. “No offence, no offence,” answered Tantaine; “but the fact is, the newspapers are doing you a great deal of harm, by retailing some of the means adopted by your colleague to make the boys do a good day’s work. Do you recollect the sentence on that master who tied one of his lads down on a bed, and left him without food for two days at a stretch?” “I don’t care about such matters; no one can bring a charge of cruelty against me,” retorted Perpignan angrily. “A man with the kindest heart in the world may be the victim of circumstances.” Perpignan felt that the decisive moment was at hand. “What do you mean?” asked he. “Well, suppose, to punish one of your refractory lads, you were to shut him in the cellar. A storm comes on during the night, the gutter gets choked up, the cellar fills with water, and next morning you find the little cherub drowned like a rat in his hole?” Perpignan’s face was livid. “Well, and what then?” asked he. “Ah! now the awkward part of the matter comes. You would not care to send for the police, that might excite suspicion; the easiest thing is to dig a hole and shove the body into it.” Perpignan got up and placed his back against the door. “You know too much, M. Tantaine,--a great deal too much,” said he. Perpignan’s manner was most threatening; but Tantaine still smiled pleasantly, like a child who had just committed some simply mischievous act, the results of which it cannot foresee. “The sentence isn’t heavy,” he continued; “five years’ penal servitude, if evidence of previous good conduct could be put in; but if former antecedents were disclosed, such as a journey to Nancy----” This was the last straw, and Perpignan broke out,-- “What do you mean?” said he; “and what do you want me to do?” “Only a trifling service, as I told you before. My dear sir, do not put yourself in a rage,” he added, as Perpignan seemed disposed to speak again. “Was it not you who first began to talk of your, ‘em--well, let us say business?” “Then you wanted to make yourself agreeable by talking all this rot to me. Well, shall I tell you in my turn what I think?” “By all means, if it will not be giving you too much trouble.” “Then I tell you that you have come here on an errand which no man should venture to do alone. You are not of the age and build for business like this. It is a misfortune--a fatal one perhaps--to put yourself in my power, in such a house as this.” “But, my dear sir, what is likely to happen to me?”