Badinot, formerly a lawyer, but struck off the rolls, and now a chevalier d'industrie, and agent of equivocal affairs, served as a spy for the Baron de Graün (Rudolph's friend), and gave the diplomatist a great deal of information concerning several characters of this narration. "Madame Charles has just given you a letter?" said Badinot to the receiver. "Yes, sir; my nephew will soon return; in a moment he will be off again." "No, give me the letter; I have changed my mind; I will go myself to the Viscount de Saint Remy," said Badinot, emphasizing purposely the aristocratic address. "Here is the letter, sir; have you no other commission?" "No, friend Micou," said Badinot, with a patronizing air; "but I have reproaches to make to you." "To me, sir?" "Very grave reproaches." "How, sir?" "Certainly Madame de Saint Ildefonso pays very dear for your first floor. My niece is one of those lodgers to whom one should pay the greatest respect; she came with confidence to this house, disliking the noise of the large streets; she hoped she would be here as in the country." "And she is; just like a village. You ought to find it so, sir, who live in the country--it is just like a real village here." "A village? Very fine--always the most infernal noise." "Yet it is impossible to find a more quiet house. Over madame, there is the leader of the orchestra of the Cafe des Aveugles and a traveling clerk; over them another clerk; over him again, there is--" "It is not of these persons I complain; they are very quiet; my niece finds no inconvenience from them; but in the fourth story there is a lame man, whom Madame de Saint Ildefonso met yesterday drunk on the staircase; he uttered horrible, savage cries; she almost fainted, she was so much alarmed. If you think with such occupants your house resembles a village--" "I swear to you, sir, that I only wait an opportunity to put this lame man out of doors; he has paid me his term in advance, otherwise he would have been already shown how to get out." "You should not have taken him for a lodger." "But I hope madame has no other cause of complaint? There is a postman, who is the very cream of honest people! and over him, alongside of the lame man, a woman and her daughter, who keep as close as mice." "I repeat, Madame de Saint Iledefonso only complains of the lame man; he is the nightmare of the whole house, that knave! and I warn you, if you keep him, he will cause all the respectable people to leave." "I will send him off, be assured--I do not hold to him." "And you will do well, for they will not remain." "Which would not answer my purpose. So, sir, you may regard the lame man as off, for he only has four days to remain here." "That is too many; however, it is your business. At the very first insult my niece leaves the house." "Be assured." "All this is for your interest; profit by it, for I only speak once," said Badinot, in a patronizing manner, as he left the shop.