"'Five or six hundred francs, at your service, but no more. I am just beginning the practice of medicine, you understand; I have a large number of patients already: almost all the lorettes in the Bréda quarter have me to attend them, and they often have trifling indispositions; but not one of them ever pays me, that isn't their custom. As for my parents, who live in La Beauce, they have got tired of sending me money. They claim that I ought to have acquired talent enough to earn my living. Parbleu! talent isn't what I lack, but paying patients.' "My brunette stamped impatiently, crying: "'I mean to make my fortune, I tell you, and I can do it by selling seamless gloves. Look you, my little Loquet, you can give me your notes of hand; I can negotiate them; the owner of the process will take them in payment.' "'But how am I to pay them?' "'The profits will begin to come in before they fall due; I shall be selling my new gloves, and we shall have the means to pay them.' "I hesitated; but my brunette was so sure of success; and then, I had dined well, and at such times I sign whatever anyone asks me to. I made five notes of hand, of three thousand francs each.--You can guess the result! The seamless gloves tore as soon as anyone attempted to put them on. My poor Satiné was forced to assign. We paid the first two notes, but I was obliged to sell almost everything I possessed. The third has come due, and they will soon be here to demand payment. I am besieged already by a crowd of other creditors; for, after all, a man must live, and clothe himself, and have a roof over his head. I am completely cleaned out! But I don't bear my mistress any grudge; she has gone to law with the villain who defrauded her with his secret, and hopes to make him disgorge the last two notes at least, and----" A ring at the doorbell interrupted Balloquet, who sat up in bed and looked at me, saying in an undertone: "Damnation! there's someone!" "Shall I open the door?" "No, no! wait a moment. I recognize a creditor by his way of ringing; perhaps it's the bearer of that note. No matter! I might as well have it over with. Wait!" Balloquet jumped out of bed and opened a closet near the headboard, in which I saw a rather large iron chest set into the wall. "I found this safe here when I took possession," whispered Balloquet, "and it serves my turn splendidly." "I can't imagine what purpose a safe can serve, when you have no money." "You will see, my dear fellow." He opened the chest, threw in three large two-sou pieces, then said to me: "Will you lend me two hundred-sou pieces for a few minutes? They will do much better." "With pleasure, my dear fellow! do you want more?" "No, two are enough, but I don't happen to have any at this moment."