Jondrette lied, for four quarters would only have been forty francs, and he could not owe four, as it was not six months since Marius had paid two for him. M. Leblanc took a five-franc piece from his pocket and threw it on the table. Jondrette had time to growl in his grown-up daughter's ear,-- "The scamp! what does he expect me to do with his five francs? They will not pay for the chair and pane of glass! There's the result of making an outlay!" In the mean while M. Leblanc had taken off a heavy brown coat, which he wore over his blue one, and thrown it on the back of a chair. "Monsieur Fabantou," he said, "I have only these five francs about me, but I will take my daughter home and return to-night. Is it not to-night that you have to pay?" Jondrette's face was lit up with a strange expression, and he hurriedly answered,-- "Yes, respected sir, I must be with my landlord by eight o'clock." "I will be here by six, and bring you the sixty francs." "My benefactor!" Jondrette exclaimed wildly; and he added in a whisper,-- "Look at him carefully, wife." M. Leblanc had given his arm to the lovely young lady, and was turning to the door. "Till this evening, my friends," he said. "At six o'clock?" Jondrette asked. "At six o'clock precisely." At this moment the overcoat left on the back of the chair caught the eye of the elder girl. "Sir," she said, "you are forgetting your greatcoat." Jondrette gave his daughter a crushing glance, accompanied by a formidable shrug of the shoulders, but M. Leblanc turned and replied smilingly,-- "I do not forget it, I leave it." "Oh, my protector," said Jondrette, "my august benefactor, I am melting into tears! Permit me to conduct you to your coach." "If you go out," M. Leblanc remarked, "put on that overcoat, for it is really very cold." Jondrette did not let this be said twice, but eagerly put on the brown coat. Then they all three went out, Jondrette preceding the two strangers. CHAPTER X. THE TARIFF OF CAB-FARES.