Meanwhile, Célestin de Valnoir had taken Jean Ficelle, who was his favorite messenger, aside and handed him a letter, saying in a very low tone, after looking about to make sure that nobody could hear: "Carry this note to Madame Baldimer--the lady to whose house I have sent you several times." "Yes, monsieur, I know; I will go upstairs, as usual, and ask for Mamzelle Rosa, the lady's-maid, saying that I come from you." "Exactly. And if Madame Baldimer is not at home, Rosa will tell you where you can find her; go there, and bring me the lady's answer at the Maison-Dorée restaurant, where I shall dine. I will speak to the waiter, and he will let me know when you arrive." "Very good, monsieur." "By the way, it is possible that the gentleman who has just employed your comrade Sans-Cravate may be sending him also to Madame Baldimer's. As he must not know that I am sending you there, be prudent; let Sans-Cravate go first, and don't go in until he has come out." "Never fear; I didn't get the sobriquet of Ficelle for nothing. He shall not know where I am going." "Very well." Célestin turned his back on the messenger, and joined Albert, who had returned to the boulevard. Tobie Pigeonnier, meanwhile, had led Paul under a porte cochère, and there, after making sure that he was so far away from his two friends that they could not hear him, he said to the messenger: "My boy, are you clever, faithful, and intelligent?" Paul gazed in surprise at the little fellow who asked him the question with an air of mystery, as if he were about to admit him to the secret of a conspiracy. "As to being faithful, monsieur," he replied, "it is my duty; I should be doubly guilty in my calling, if I betrayed the confidence of those who are good enough to employ me. At all events, monsieur, I am well known in the quarter, and you can inquire about me. As to my cleverness and intelligence, I have, as a general rule, had no difficulty in carrying out my instructions." "Good, very good. I see that you are not too dull; you are the man for me, for I detest dull-witted people. Listen to me with the closest attention; stay--let us go a little farther; I have reasons for not wanting those gentlemen to hear what I have to say to you. There--let us stop in this corner. You will go---- By the way, what is your name?" "Paul, monsieur." "Paul; very good. You will go to the Temple, Paul, to the Temple Market--you know--where they sell clothing and linen for both sexes, and footwear too." "I know the place, monsieur." "You will go into the market, near the rotunda, where the stalls are,--they are called _ayons_,--to the part occupied by the milliners." "Does monsieur mean the dealers in old hats?" "Old hats!--why, they sell new ones too, and wreaths of flowers, almost new, and ladies' caps--in fact, all the pretty gewgaws that women always dote on. You will ask for Madame Abraham--she is well known--she is one of the largest dealers in the place."