We have said enough to make it clear that he was very far from having as many mistresses as he claimed to have. Although he was rather a good-looking youth, especially in the eyes of those persons who like noses shaped like a parrot's beak, he rarely ventured to embark upon a love affair; because, as a general rule, such affairs require, first of all, that one should have money in one's pocket. A young man without a sou may inspire a passion, form a liaison, have a mistress who really loves him; and under such circumstances he is entitled to flatter himself that he is loved on his own account; but he cannot change mistresses very often--in short, he can hardly be what we call a man _à bonnes fortunes_. That is a calling which requires a constant expenditure of money and of health. Tobie asked nothing better than to spend the latter, but preferred to hoard his money. When his fashionable friends proposed to him to join a party of pleasure, or to dine with them, he always found some pretext for refusing; but this time, the hope of making a conquest of Madame Plays overcame his usual reserve; for in that lady's acquaintance he foresaw many opportunities to advance his fortunes. Monsieur Plays was a commission merchant, and might offer him frequent opportunities to make profitable investments. All these considerations combined had induced Tobie to accept Albert's proposition; and although he was very short of money, he had decided also to be one of the dinner party at the Maison-Dorée. Now, let us join the three young men in the Passage des Panoramas, where they were waiting for the two others whom Célestin had arranged to meet there. "There's always a crowd in this passage," said Albert. "In summer, people walk through; in winter, they come here to walk, because the boulevards are muddy. If it rains, they come here for shelter; if the sun is very hot, they come here for shade; so that there's always a crowd here." "Let's look at the statuettes. You told us, Tobie, didn't you, that somebody was making a caricature of you?" "Not a caricature, but a bust, life size." "That won't be so amusing." "Have we got to wait for Mouillot and Balivan, I wonder! Mouillot is never on time." "Oh! it isn't half-past five yet." "Let's look at the new songs." "That is to say, the new lithographs; for a song doesn't sell nowadays, you know, unless it has some pretty picture on the cover." "That's not very flattering for the music." "But it's a good thing for the artists. Brûlé's shop, Frère's successor, is always full of fascinating things of that sort. Look! there are some beautiful _albums._ I refer to the binding." Tobie was standing in an ecstasy of admiration before a manikin in front of a draper's shop. "Is that your bust you are gazing at?" asked Célestin, laughingly.