“Oh, no, monsieur!” replied Louise sadly, “he would never have spoken to you about me, for he has forgotten me; he doesn’t want to see us again. I am Louise, Monsieur Chérubin’s friend in childhood.” “Young Louise!” cried Daréna; “who was with Chérubin, at his nurse Nicole’s, at Gagny?” “Yes, monsieur.” “You see that I am well informed, mademoiselle, that I did not deceive you when I said that I was the marquis’s friend.” “Oh, yes! I see that, monsieur.” During this dialogue, Poterne sauntered up to Daréna and whispered: “There’s a chance to make a turn here.” Daréna retorted with a blow of his elbow in the ribs, muttering: “So I see, you fool!” Then, turning to Louise, he continued: “Mademoiselle, if you do not wish to call at my friend Chérubin’s, it does not seem to me fitting that you should remain in the street. In Paris, you see, there are certain proprieties that one must always observe. Young and pretty as you are, you must not expose yourself to the risk of being insulted by some scoundrel. Take my arm; you are my friend’s foster-sister, his playmate, and I naturally declare myself your protector. Pray take my arm.” “Oh! how kind you are, monsieur!” replied Louise, timidly putting her arm through Daréna’s. “Are you really going to take the trouble to take me to Monsieur de Monfréville’s?” “I will take you wherever you choose--to the king if you have anything to say to him.--Poterne, why don’t you take mademoiselle’s bundle?” “You are too kind, monsieur, but it does not trouble me.” “No matter; I will not allow my friend Chérubin’s foster-sister to carry a bundle when she has my arm.” Poterne had already taken the bundle from Louise’s hands; and she, confused by so much courtesy, walked on with her arm through Daréna’s, while Poterne followed, feeling the bundle to find out what there was in it. As they walked along, the girl told Daréna how she had left Gagny to enter Madame de Noirmont’s service, and her grief because Chérubin had forgotten her; in fact, she omitted nothing save the visit Madame de Noirmont had paid to her during the night. “And what do you propose to do at Monfréville’s?” asked Daréna, fixing his eyes on Louise’s lovely ones. “I am going to give him a letter which was given to me for him.” “To induce him to reconcile you and your dear friend Chérubin, no doubt?” “Oh! no, monsieur! it’s about something that he alone knows about.” Louise said no more, deeming it improper to admit a third person to the secret of what Madame de Noirmont had said to her. Daréna paid little heed to that matter; he was thinking what he should do with Louise. Suddenly he remembered the little house on the outer boulevard, which he had hired for the Polish intrigue, and which was still in his possession, as he had been obliged to take it for six months. Turning to Poterne, he said with a wink: