Well, now, to come to the point, where do we stand?" "Monseigneur, I have fulfilled your desires, and for the past hour the young girl has been at your little house." "You don't say so! What! Is the affair really terminated thus quickly. It doesn't seem as though mademoiselle had made many scruples." "I must confess, monsieur, that she got into the carriage with a very good grace." "A little resistance would have pleased me better; it's cruel that one can have immediately all that one desires. These young girls are so impressed when one speaks to them of a great nobleman. I'm almost sorry I have entangled myself with this one, for the devil carry me away if I'm in love with her the least bit in the world. For very little I'd have you take her back to the place you took her from. What d'you say, Touquet; that would be droll, wouldn't it?" The barber, piqued at the little pleasure evinced by the marquis at his successful abduction of the young girl, answered coldly,-- "I see that monseigneur has almost entirely forgotten the one who charmed him two days ago; if he could remember her he would not show so much indifference in her possession." "What, is she really so beautiful? Do you think she is capable of engaging my affection for any length of time?" "I don't know, monsieur, whether she will have that good fortune; but I have seen many courtesans in the highest vogue who did not equal that young Italian." "Is she an Italian?" "Yes, monseigneur." "All the better; that alters the case a little." "Her name is Julia; her face, while not regularly beautiful, has a nameless something that is very piquant and seductive; and there is in her voice, in her manner, in everything about her, something that denotes force and originality. In short, she is not a languorous beauty, such as one most often sees." "Do you know, you pique my curiosity; come, tomorrow, we'll admire all this." "Tomorrow! What monsieur, and the young girl is awaiting you with impatience?" "We must let her sigh until then; I have promised to rejoin my friends and finish the night with them. With people of honor one does not break his word; the beautiful Julia must be patient." "I also left one of my men with Marcel, in case monsieur le marquis should have any further orders to send me. I hope he'll be useful, since Marcel can't leave the house." "Oh, very well, your man can wait; one can give him a few pistoles more. By the way, I must pay you. Wait! Here's some gold I won at lansquenet this morning. But time's passing, I wager those rascals are getting impatient; I must run and rejoin them. We shall have a delightful night; we are in just the vein for diversion. We'll make some notches in the good citizens of Paris, we'll flog the watch, we'll stop chair porters, and I won't answer for it that we don't steal some mantles on the Pont-Neuf." The marquis hastily departed and the barber closed his door, saying,--