"_Bigre!_ do you suppose the old fossil has come back? He can't have gone to get a locksmith, can he?" "It isn't probable; he hasn't had time. What are you going to do? Shall I open the door?" "Faith! the squirrel is still in the safe, playing his little game. If it happens to be a creditor, the trick may work again. Be kind enough to open the door." I complied with his request, and received a lady fully fifty years of age, who was dressed with much coquetry, although her costume was not absolutely fresh. She bowed to me, and, without waiting to be ushered in, walked quickly by me, saying: "I beg pardon, monsieur, it's Monsieur Balloquet I want to see, and I know he's in; I took pains to inquire." She was in the inner room before I had had time to answer her. Seeing my friend in bed, she started back; but she speedily recovered herself and went on. "Ah! so you're in bed, are you?" she exclaimed. "But, after all, the doctors visit us when we're in bed; so why shouldn't we do the same by them?" "Perfectly argued, Madame Philocome. Pray take the trouble to be seated." Madame Philocome took a chair, after some show of reluctance. "Are you sick?" she said, twisting her mouth out of shape. "Mon Dieu! yes, dear Madame Philocome, I am sick. But may I know to what I am indebted for the honor of this visit?" "Why, I happen to have in my hands a little _broche_ of yours." "A _broche?_" "A little note, if you like that better; a hundred and fifty francs. It's a small matter. You made it to your tailor's order; he paid it to me, and I came to collect it. If, at the same time, you could give me what you owe me for perfumery and essences, you know----" "Yes, I know that I owe you a trifle. Parbleu! if you have your bill here, we'll settle the whole thing together; I ask nothing better." "It will be an accommodation to me, especially as you don't come to see us any more, doctor; you've taken your custom away from us; that's all wrong." "Not at all; but when I moved into another quarter----" "Here's my bill; it amounts to a hundred and thirty-two francs." "Very good; a hundred and fifty and a hundred and thirty-two; that makes two hundred and eighty-two in all.--My dear Charles, do me the favor to take that amount from my safe." Thereupon we performed for Madame Philocome's benefit the scene of the lost key, with an accompaniment of money jingling by the squirrel. But I was pained to see that the perfumer shook her head and smiled in a very equivocal fashion. Finally, when Balloquet essayed to express his regret at the loss of his key, the old coquette interrupted him, saying: "It seems that you mislay your key very often, monsieur; for I have happened to see two of your creditors, and they have told me why you didn't pay them; it was exactly the same thing as to-day--the same scheme and the same details." "That may be, madame; in fact, I did lose my key several days ago."