"The purse contains only three hundred francs; I won it two days ago at écarté. Really, Nicette, if you knew how easily money is lost at cards, you would be less grateful to me for this trifle." "A trifle! three hundred francs! enough to set me up in business! Why, monsieur, it's a treasure!" "Yes, to you who know the full value of money, and use it judiciously. But things are valuable only so long as they are in their proper place." "All this means, I suppose, that you are very rich?" "It means that, having been brought up in affluence, accustomed to gratify all my whims, I am not familiar enough with the value of money. This three hundred francs that I offer you, I should probably lose at cards without a pang; so take the money, Nicette; you can give it back to me, if the day ever comes when I need it." "Oh, yes! whenever you want it, monsieur; everything I have will always be at your service." "I don't doubt it, my dear friend; so that business is settled." "Yes, monsieur; if my mother sends me away, I'll hire a small room, I'll buy flowers; I'll be saving and orderly, and perhaps some day I'll get where I can have a nice little shop of my own." "Then you will marry according to your taste, and you'll be happy." "Perhaps so! but let's not talk about that, monsieur." "Well! time flies; it's nearly eight o'clock, and you must go, Nicette." "Yes, monsieur, that is true; whenever you say the word. But I--is----" "What do you want to say?" "Shan't I see you again?" "Yes, indeed; I hope to see you often. If you move to another quarter, you must leave your new address with my concierge." "Very well, monsieur; I won't fail." The child was in evident distress; she turned her face away to conceal her tears. Could it be that she was sorry to leave me? What nonsense! We had known each other only since the night before! And yet, I too was unhappy at parting from her. She was certain to meet one or more servants on the stairs; but what was she to do? there was no other way out. She promised to go down very rapidly, and to hurry under the porte cochère. I kissed her affectionately--too affectionately for a man who had given her three hundred francs; it was too much like taking compensation for the gift. I opened the door leading to the landing, and stood aside to let Nicette go out first, when a roar of laughter made me look up. That fiendish Raymond's door was open, and he stood inside with a young woman; that young woman was Agathe! It was a contemptible trick. I recognized Raymond's prying curiosity and Agathe's spirit of mischief. They were on the watch for me, no doubt; possibly they had been on sentry-go since daybreak. But how did it happen that Agathe was there? She had never spoken to Raymond. I swore that he should pay me for his perfidy.