"Very good! What number, please?" But the lady had already closed her door in my face. Should I knock again, to find out the number? No; Rue du Petit-Muse was short, I knew, and I could inquire. My conversation with Madame Dumarteau was not long; she had not an amiable look, but I preferred her ill humor to Madame Piquette's coquetries. At all events, I lost no time there. I started for Rue du Petit-Muse. If I had not known my Paris, Mademoiselle Rosette could have undertaken to instruct me. I told the cabman to stop at the corner of Rue Saint-Antoine, and went into one of the first houses, where I said to the concierge: "Madame Lumignon?" "This is the place, monsieur." Faith! I was in luck. The next step was to inquire which floor; I was afraid that I could guess beforehand: I should surely be directed to the seventh. "Which floor, concierge?" "At the rear of the courtyard, to the left, ground floor." Ah! I breathed again! The aunts were coming down in the world. Madame Lumignon was a little hunchback with a bright eye and a shrill voice, like most hunchbacks. As soon as I mentioned her niece's name, she smiled. "Ah! you want Rosette," she said; "for Madame Berlingot, I suppose? Yes, yes, I'm used to that; it's always the same song! If I was evil-minded, I might suspect something! But I wash my hands of her. In the first place, Rosette don't pay any attention to us; she's such a wilful creature! So much the worse for her! I've warned her!" "But, madame, she is wanted to mend a cashmere shawl." "I know! I know! A fine thing, that cashmere shawl is!" "Well, madame, is mademoiselle your niece with you?" "With me! oh, yes! of course! When she comes here, she don't stay long enough to mould." "Where can I find her, then?" "At her Aunt Chamouillet's, perhaps; but I won't swear to it." "Madame Chamouillet's address, if you please?" "Rue Madame, No. 4, near the Luxembourg." I took leave of the hunchbacked aunt, who looked after me with a cunning leer. I returned to my cab, and said to the driver: "Rue Madame, near the Luxembourg." "I say, monsieur, if you've got many more trips like this to make, my horse will leave us on the road." "No; whatever happens, this is the last but one." We reached Rue Madame with difficulty; the horse was at his last gasp. I unearthed Aunt Chamouillet. I was told to go up to the second floor, where I found a woman washing on the landing; and just as I was climbing the last stairs, that woman, who, I presume, had not heard me coming, turned and emptied a large pail of soapsuds on the staircase. I was drenched to the waist. I swore like a pirate, whereupon the woman calmly observed: "Why are the gutters all stopped up? It don't do any good to complain, they don't clean 'em out; and I must empty my water somewhere." "But you might at least look before you empty it." "Did you get any of it?" "Parbleu! I am drenched!" "That'll dry, and it don't spot." "Madame Chamouillet, if you please?"