“Oh, well,” said Thuillier, “it will all pass off. I want to tell you, my dear Flavie, what fine success we have had this morning. The ‘National’ quotes two whole paragraphs of an article in which there were several sentences of mine.” Thuillier was again interrupted in the tale of his great political and literary success,--this time by the entrance of Josephine the cook. “Can monsieur tell me where to find the key of the great trunk?” she said. “What do you want with it?” asked Thuillier. “Mademoiselle told me to take it to her room.” “What for?” “Mademoiselle must be going to make a journey. She is getting her linen out of the drawers, and her gowns are on the bed.” “Another piece of nonsense!” said Thuillier. “Flavie, go and see what she has in her head.” “Not I,” said Madame Colleville; “go yourself. In her present state of exasperation she might beat me.” “And my stupid wife, who must needs raise a fuss about the contract!” cried Thuillier. “She really must have said something pretty sharp to turn Brigitte off her hinges like this.” “Monsieur has not told me where to find the key,” persisted Josephine. “I don’t know anything about it,” said Thuillier, crossly; “go and look for it, or else tell her it is lost.” “Oh, yes!” said Josephine, “it is likely I’d dare to go and tell her that.” Just then the outer door-bell rang. “No doubt that’s la Peyrade,” said Thuillier, in a tone of satisfaction. The Provencal appeared a moment later. “Faith, my dear friend,” cried Thuillier, “it is high time you came; the house is in revolution, all about you, and it needs your silvery tongue to bring it back to peace and quietness.” Then he related to his assistant editor the circumstances of the civil war which had broken out. La Peyrade turned to Madame Colleville. “I think,” he said, “that under the circumstances in which we now stand there is no impropriety in my asking for an interview of a few moments with Mademoiselle Colleville.” In this the Provencal showed his usual shrewd ability; he saw that in the mission of pacification thus given to him Celeste Colleville was the key of the situation. “I will send for her, and we will leave you alone together,” said Flavie. “My dear Thuillier,” said la Peyrade, “you must, without any violence, let Mademoiselle Celeste know that her consent must be given without further delay; make her think that this was the purpose for which you have sent for her; then leave us; I will do the rest.” The man-servant was sent down to the entresol with orders to tell Celeste that her godfather wished to speak to her. As soon as she appeared, Thuillier said, to carry out the programme which had been dictated to him:-- “My dear, your mother has told us things that astonish us. Can it be true that with your contract almost signed, you have not yet decided to accept the marriage we have arranged for you?”