"Ah! I am a miserable wretch! But let me tell you what misled me: it was the birds that I saw in the window. I said to myself: 'That's game; therefore, they sell provisions.'" "Those are birds-of-paradise that you saw, monsieur; they're used to put on ladies' hats, but not to eat." "Birds-of-paradise! Pardon me, but they are in paradise, in very truth, since they live under the same roof with such charming ladies! I renew my apologies, and beg you to accept my respects." Cherami left the fourth shop, saying to himself: "They are not there either; I shan't have my cue this evening. This is enough for to-day; but I am well pleased with the effect I produced in that last place: they all laughed, even the mistress herself laughed like a madwoman! It was very amusing to see the gayety on all those female faces--and all because I asked for a ham! After all, a ham was more absurd than a coat, shirts, or children's caps! Well, to-morrow I must ask for something even more absurd. Oh! I shall think up something; I'm never at a loss. Meanwhile, let's go and have a game of pool at the usual place. When my pocket is well lined, I play superbly, I handle my cue magnificently. I am sure of winning, according to the proverb: 'Water keeps flowing to the river.'" The next day, after dinner, Cherami returned to Rue Saint-Denis, saying to himself: "I know how far I went yesterday, and where I must begin to-day. I have something very amusing to ask for. How I'll make them laugh! Oh! I propose that not even the forewomen shall succeed in keeping a serious face. They will fancy they're at the Palais-Royal when Grassot plays _La Garde-Malade_, or _Le Vieux Loup de Mer_." But, since the preceding night, certain things had happened in Rue Saint-Denis which our grisette-hunter could not divine. In a quarter so wholly given over to business, there are brokers and under-clerks who go about almost every morning inquiring as to the course of prices, articles most in demand, etc.; this is commonly called _faire la place_. Now, when one of these brokers entered a certain feather-shop, the girls asked him laughingly: "Have you brought us some children's caps? we had a call for some last night." "Caps? you are joking!" "No, indeed!" And thereupon they told him about their customer of the night before. The story made the broker laugh, and that was the end of it. But at another shop they told him about a man who had wanted to buy a coat. "This is a strange thing!" he exclaimed; "over yonder, somebody asked for a child's cap. Can it be the same man?" At that, the proprietor's interest was aroused. "I must go to see my confreres, and find out whether they also saw this person." "That is right," said the broker; "we must go to the bottom of this; for it seems to me as if someone had made up his mind to play a practical joke on you. I'll go with you."