"There's a messenger for Monsieur Albert Vermoncey." "Ah! it's for me this time!" exclaimed the young man, springing to his feet. "I am coming! I am coming!" In a second he had left the room and joined Sans-Cravate, who came to meet him, holding three letters in one hand and a single one in the other, and who said, almost without stopping for breath: "I did just what monsieur told me: first, to the lady's house on Rue Neuve-Vivienne. Not in; I left the letter. Then to monsieur's house, Rue Caumartin. The concierge gave me these three letters. They smell good; you'd think you had your nose on Bastringuette's tray. And then I went back just now to Rue Neuve-Vivienne, and they gave me this letter for monsieur. That smells good, too." "A letter from her! Oh! give it to me, give it to me!" "Here's all of them; first, the three the concierge gave me." And Sans-Cravate handed Albert the letters he held in his left hand. But the young man crumpled them up together and thrust them into his pocket; then, hurriedly breaking the seal of the other one, which the messenger had in his right hand, he stepped aside to read it unobserved, while Sans-Cravate whistled a _cachucha_ between his teeth. Albert had no sooner made himself acquainted with the contents of Madame Baldimer's reply to his letter, than his face assumed an expression of the most intense pleasure; he felt in his pocket and took out two five-franc pieces, which he put in Sans-Cravate's hand, saying: "Here, Sans-Cravate; I am happy, and I want you to be happy, too." "Ah! thanks, bourgeois. _Crédié!_ it's a pleasure to work for you; you're very free with your cash. I am always at your service--day or night--no matter what time; whenever you need me, I'll be ready. And if you should be short of the needful, I'd work for you all the same; because, you see, when I once get attached to people, it isn't just selfishness that makes me work for them--it's the heart--it's----" "All right, my good fellow, thanks! Some day, perhaps, I shall put your zeal to the proof. Go and enjoy yourself. I must return to my friends." "Oh! yes, we are going to have rather a choice little spree!" cried Sans-Cravate, as he went downstairs four at a time. "Bastringuette will have a chance to let herself go; she's so fond of good things to eat! Three cart-wheels to spend: a tricycle! nothing less, by God!" While Sans-Cravate left the restaurant, singing at the top of his voice, Albert returned to his place at the table. "Give me something to drink!" he cried; "champagne! let us play cards and get drunk! I am in the mood now to do whatever you choose." "It seems that all the replies are favorable," said Mouillot. "Oh! very favorable!" rejoined Albert; "I make no secret of the fact that there was a woman who was inclined to play the prude with me, and with whom, of course, I was more in love than ever. But I have obtained an assignation--a tête-à-tête, at last." "Oho! it's all settled, then."