Poor old woman! she ought never to have laid aside her trumpet. I repeated my question, and that time she replied: "My niece Rosette? Why, she ain't here, monsieur." "What, madame! not here? Why, where on earth can I find her, then?" "Oh! that's easily done, monsieur. She must be with her Aunt Falourdin, Faubourg Saint-Denis, corner of Rue Chabrol." At that, I gave up all hope of finding my grisette; I had no desire to begin the circuit of the aunts anew; I had had quite enough of them. I bade my cabman take me home. It was five o'clock, and we had been on the road since noon! Ah! Mademoiselle Rosette! Mademoiselle Rosette! you had shown me aunts of all colors! What a day! Jason was certainly more fortunate than I: after many perils, he obtained the Golden Fleece; I had faced seven aunts, and had not obtained Rosette! XXXVIII THE DEALER IN SPONGES As I entered my apartment, Pomponne came to meet me with his expression that denoted news. "There's someone waiting for you, monsieur, who's been here quite a long while. But I didn't know that monsieur would be away so long; he did not tell me." "Can it be that Rosette has come while I have been running after her?" "No, monsieur; it ain't Mamzelle Rosette?" "Is it Madame Dauberny, then?" "No, monsieur; it's a person of our sex." "Oh! how you annoy me, Pomponne! I ought to have gone to see who was there, instead of listening to you." I went at once into my salon, and found Ballangier sitting in a corner with a book in his hand. I was agreeably surprised to find that he was neatly dressed. He wore a gray blouse, but it was spotlessly clean; his trousers were well brushed, his shoes polished; he had a clean white collar and a black cravat. It was the costume of a well-behaved mechanic who was a credit to his trade. He came to meet me, with a timid air, saying: "I ask your pardon, Charles, for waiting for you; I did wrong, perhaps; but when I came, about two o'clock, your servant said you would soon be back; and so, as I was anxious to see you, I said to myself: 'As long as I'm here, I may as well stay.'" "You did well, Ballangier, very well; I am very glad to see you, too. Let me look at you. From your dress, and the expression of self-content that I can read in your face, I am sure that you are behaving better now." "That is true; at all events, I am trying to. I am working for a manufacturer in Faubourg Saint-Antoine--I had a letter of recommendation to him." "From whom, pray?" Ballangier twisted his cap about in his hands as he continued: "From an excellent man I used to work for long ago, and who never despaired of me. They took me on trial, at first. The master had heard very bad accounts of me, but I worked so well that after a while he got to be less strict with me; then he increased my pay, without my asking, and now he says everywhere that he's satisfied with me."