I hired a cab by the hour, and went first to Faubourg Saint-Denis, corner of Rue Chabrol; that was where Rosette had her legal domicile. I knew the house, having taken her there quite often. I went in and asked an old tailor, presumably the concierge, if Mademoiselle Rosette was with her aunt, Madame Falourdin. I had remembered that aunt's name; as for the others, I had heard them named; but that conglomeration of more or less queer and unusual names had escaped my memory. "Mamzelle Rosette?" replied the tailor, eying the seat of an old pair of trousers as a cook eyes eggs that are to be served in the shell; "Mamzelle Rosette? No, monsieur, I don't think she be to her aunt's, or I'd have seen her going out and coming in more'n once this morning. You see, monsieur, that girl's just like a worm as has been cut in two--always wriggling.--_Bigre!_ that place is pretty nigh worn out!" I saw that Rosette was recognized everywhere as being constantly in motion. "So you think she isn't at Madame Falourdin's?" I said. "I'd put my thimble in the fire on it. Ha! ha! To be sure, it wouldn't burn, being as it's wrought iron.--Oho! how thin this place is!" The old fellow was inclined to jest. However, I must find out where to go in search of Rosette. "Can you tell me, monsieur, where I shall find Mademoiselle Rosette?" I added to my question the obligatory accompaniment of a piece of silver; but to my amazement the old tailor pushed my hand away, saying: "That would be robbery, for I don't know where she is.--They want me to make a child's jacket out of this thing, and I couldn't make one gaiter!" "But I must speak to that young woman." "Well, then, go up to the third, Mame Falourdin; she'd ought to know where her niece is." He was right; that was my only resource. Rosette had said to me: "When you ask for me at one of my aunts', you must always say that you come from Madame Berlingot's finishing shop on Rue Pinon."--I bore that in mind. There was but one door on the third floor, so that it was impossible to make a mistake. I rang. A tall, thin woman opened the door. "Madame Falourdin?" "That's me, monsieur. What can I do for you?" "Is Mademoiselle Rosette with you, madame?" "No, monsieur; what do you want of her?" "I have come from Madame Berlingot's finishing----" "I know, monsieur, I know! About a cashmere shawl, I suppose, that needs mending and must be mended right away?" "I think that that's what it is, madame." "Then, monsieur, you must be kind enough to go to her Aunt Riflot's, Rue du Pont-aux-Choux, No. 17. That's where Rosette is just now." "Exceedingly obliged, madame; I will go there at once." "Your servant, monsieur!" I was not sorry to know that the finisher was supposed to send for Rosette to mend shawls; that would give me more self-assurance in my embassy.