"M. Ferrand would reply to that, 'It was for the sake of example.'" "Example of what? It is of no use to those who are honest; and those who are not, know well enough that they are likely to be discovered if they steal." "This house is, however, a good customer for the officer." "How?" "Why, this morning poor Louise; just now Germain." "As for me, the affair of Germain don't appear too clear." "But he has acknowledged it!" "He confessed that he had taken thirteen hundred francs--yes; but he maintained that he had not taken the remaining fifteen thousand francs in bank bills, and the remaining seven hundred francs that were missing." "Exactly; since he acknowledged one thing, why not the other?" "It is true, one is as much punished for five hundred as for fifteen thousand francs.". "Yes; but one keeps the fifteen thousand francs, and on coming out of prison, that makes a nice little establishment, a rogue would say." "Not so bad." "One may well say there is something in that." "And Germain, who always defended master when we called him a Jesuit!" "It is nevertheless true. 'Why hasn't master a right to go to mass?' he would say: 'you have the right to stay away.'" "Stop, here is Chalomel; now he will be astonished!" "About what! what! My good fellow, is there anything new concerning poor Louise?" "You would have known, lazybones, if you hadn't been absent so long." "Hold; you think it is only a hop, skip, and a jump from here to the Rue de Chaillot." "Well; this famous Viscount de Saint Remy?" "Has he not come yet?" "No." "His carriage was all ready, and his valet told me that he would come at once; but he did not appear pleased, the domestic said. Oh! that is a fine hotel; one might say it had belonged to the lords of the olden time, as are spoken of in Faublas. Oh! Faublas! he is my hero, my model!" said Chalomel, putting away his umbrella and taking off his overshoes. "I believe that this viscount is in debt, and there are writs out against him." "A writ for thirty-four thousand francs, which has been sent here, since it is here he must come to pay it; the creditor prefers it, why, I know not." "He must be able to pay it now, because he returned last night from the country, where he has been concealed for three days to escape the bailiffs." "But why did they not levy on his furniture?" "He is not such an ass! The house is not his; the furniture is in the name of his valet, who is looked upon as hiring him furnished lodgings, in the same way that his horses and carriages are in the name of his coachman, who says he lets them out to the viscount at so much per month. Oh! he is cunning, this Viscount de Saint Remy. But what is that you were talking about? Has anything new happened here?" "Just imagine--about two hours since, master came in here like a madman: 'Germain is not here?' cried he. 'No, sir.' 'Well! the scoundrel has robbed me, last night, of seventeen thousand francs!' continued the governor."