with　that　casket；　so　that　when；　shortly　after；　I　entered　his　room　and
  told　him　I　knew　all；　he　proposed　to　me　to　leave　him　the　life　use　of
  what　he　called　the　consolation　of　his　old　age；　pledging　himself　to
  make　Mademoiselle　de　la　Peyrade　his　sole　heir；　revealing　to　me　at　the
  same　time　the　existence　of　a　hoard　of　gold　（to　which　he　was　adding
  every　day）；　and　also　the　possession　of　a　house　and　an　investment　in
  the　Funds。〃
  〃If　he　made　that　proposal　in　good　faith；〃　said　Cerizet；　〃it　was　a
  desirable　one。　The　interest　of　the　capital　sunk　in　the　diamonds　was
  more　than　returned　by　that　from　the　other　property。〃
  〃You　now　see；　my　dear　sir；〃　said　du　Portail；　〃that　I　was　not　mistaken
  in　trusting　him。　All　my　precautions　were　well　taken；　I　exacted　that　he
  should　occupy　a　room　in　the　house　I　lived　in；　where　I　could　keep　a
  close　eye　upon　him。　I　assisted　him　in　making　that　hiding…place；　the
  secret　of　which　you　discovered　so　cleverly；　but　what　you　did　not　find
  out　was　that　in　touching　the　spring　that　opened　the　iron　safe　you　rang
  a　bell　in　my　apartment；　which　warned　me　of　any　attempt　that　was　made
  to　remove　our　treasure。〃
  〃Poor　Madame　Cardinal！〃　cried　Cerizet；　good…humoredly；　〃how　far　she
  was　from　suspecting　it！〃
  〃Now　here's　the　situation；〃　resumed　du　Portail。　〃On　account　of　the
  interest　I　feel　in　the　nephew　of　my　old　friend；　and　also；　on　account
  of　the　relationship；　this　marriage　seems　to　me　extremely　desirable；　in
  short；　I　unite　Theodose　to　his　cousin　and　her　'dot。'　As　it　is　possible
  that；　considering　the　mental　state　of　his　future　wife；　Theodose　may
  object　to　sharing　my　views；　I　have　not　thought　it　wise　to　make　this
  proposal　directly　to　himself。　You　have　suddenly　turned　up　upon　my
  path；　I　know　already　that　you　are　clever　and　wily；　and　that　knowledge
  induces　me　to　put　this　little　matrimonial　negotiation　into　your　hands。
  Now；　I　think；　you　understand　the　matter　thoroughly；　speak　to　him　of　a
  fine　girl；　with　one　little　drawback；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　a
  comfortable　fortune。　Do　not　name　her　to　him；　and　come　here　and　let　me
  know　how　the　proposal　has　been　taken。〃
  〃Your　confidence　delights　me　as　much　as　it　honors　me；〃　replied
  Cerizet；　〃and　I　will　justify　it　the　best　I　can。〃
  〃We　must　not　expect　too　much；〃　said　du　Portail。　〃Refusal　will　be　the
  first　impulse　of　a　man　who　has　an　affair　on　hand　elsewhere；　but　we
  need　not　consider　ourselves　beaten。　I　shall　not　easily　give　up　a　plan
  which　I　know　to　be　just；　even　if　I　push　my　zeal　so　far　as　to　put　la
  Peyrade　under　lock　and　key　in　Clichy。　I　am　resolved　not　to　take　no　for
  his　answer　to　a　proposal　of　which；　in　the　end；　he　cannot　fail　to　see
  the　propriety。　Therefore；　in　any　case；　buy　up　those　notes　from
  Monsieur　Dutocq。〃
  〃At　par？〃　asked　Cerizet。
  〃Yes；　at　par；　if　you　cannot　do　better；　we　are　not　going　to　haggle　over
  a　few　thousand　francs；　only；　when　this　transaction　is　arranged；
  Monsieur　Dutocq　must　pledge　us　either　his　assistance；　or；　at　the　very
  least；　his　neutrality。　After　what　you　have　said　of　the　other　marriage；
  it　is　unnecessary　for　me　to　warn　you　that　there　is　not　a　moment　to
  lose　in　putting　our　irons　into　the　fire。〃
  〃Two　days　hence　I　have　an　appointment　with　la　Peyrade；〃　said　Cerizet。
  〃We　have　a　little　matter　of　business　of　our　own　to　settle。　Don't　you
  think　it　would　be　best　to　wait　till　then；　when　I　can　introduce　the
  proposal　incidentally？　In　case　of　resistance；　I　think　that　arrangement
  would　best　conduce　to　OUR　dignity。〃
  〃So　be　it；〃　said　du　Portail；　〃it　isn't　much　of　a　delay。　Remember；
  monsieur；　that　if　you　succeed　you　have；　in　place　of　a　man　able　to
  bring　you　to　a　stern　account　for　your　IMPRUDENT　ASSISTANCE　to　Madame
  Cardinal；　a　greatly　obliged　person；　who　will　be　ready　at　all　times　to
  serve　you；　and　whose　influence　is　greater　than　is　generally　supposed。〃
  After　these　friendly　words；　the　pair　separated　with　a　thoroughly　good
  understanding；　and　well　satisfied　with　each　other。
  CHAPTER　XVII
  IN　WHICH　THE　LAMB　DEVOURS　THE　WOLF
  The　evening　before　the　day　already　agreed　upon；　Theodose　received　from
  Cerizet　the　following　note：
  〃To…morrow；　lease　or　no　lease；　Rocher　de　Cancale；　half…past　six
  o'clock。〃
  As　for　Dutocq；　Cerizet　saw　him　every　day；　for　he　was　still　his　copying
  clerk；　he　therefore　gave　him　his　invitation　by　word　of　mouth；　but　the
  attentive　reader　must　remark　a　difference　in　the　hour　named：　〃Quarter…
  past…six；　Rocher　de　Cancale；〃　said　Cerizet。　It　was　evident；　therefore；
  that　he　wanted　that　fifteen　minutes　with　Dutocq　before　the　arrival　of
  la　Peyrade。
  These　minutes　the　usurer　proposed　to　employ　in　jockeying　Dutocq　in　the
  purchase　of　the　notes；　he　fancied　that　if　the　proposition　to　buy　them
  were　suddenly　put　before　him　without　the　slightest　preparation　it
  might　be　more　readily　received。　By　not　leaving　the　seller　time　to
  bethink　himself；　perhaps　he　might　lead　him　to　loosen　his　grasp；　and
  the　notes　once　bought　below　par；　he　could　consider　at　his　leisure
  whether　to　pocket　the　difference　or　curry　favor　with　du　Portail　for
  the　discount　he　had　obtained。　Let　us　say；　moreover；　that　apart　from
  self…interest；　Cerizet　would　still　have　endeavored　to　scrape　a　little
  profit　out　of　his　friend；　'twas　an　instinct　and　a　need　of　his　nature。
  He　had　as　great　a　horror　for　straight　courses　as　the　lovers　of　English
  gardens　show　in　the　lines　of　their　paths。
  Dutocq；　having　still　a　portion　of　the　cost　of　his　practice　to　pay　off；
  was　forced　to　live　very　sparingly；　so　that　a　dinner　at　the　Rocher　de
  Cancale　was　something　of　an　event　in　the　economy　of　his　straitened
  existence。　He　arrived；　therefore；　with　that　punctuality　which
  testifies　to　an　interest　in　the　occasion；　and　precisely　at　a　quarter
  past　six　he　entered　the　private　room　of　the　restaurant　where　Cerizet
  awaited　him。
  〃It　is　queer；〃　he　said；　〃here　we　are　returned　to　precisely　the
  situation　in　which　we　began　our　business　relationship　with　la　Peyrade；
  except；　to　be　sure；　that　this　present　place　of　meeting　of　the　three
  emperors　is　more　comfortable；　I　prefer　the　Tilsit　of　the　rue
  Montgorgeuil　to　the　Tilsit　of　the　Cheval　Rouge。〃
  〃Faith！〃　said　Cerizet；　〃I　don't　know　that　the　results　justify　the
  change；　for；　to　be　frank；　where　are　the　profits　to　US　in　the　scheme　of
  our　triumvirate？〃
  〃But；〃　said　Dutocq；　〃it　was　a　bargain　with　a　long　time　limit。　It　can't
  be　said　that　la　Peyrade　has　lost　much　time　in　getting　installed
  forgive　the　punat　the　Thuilleries。　The　scamp　has　made　his　way　pretty
  fast；　you　must　own　that。〃
  〃Not　so　fast　but　what　his　marriage；〃　said　Cerizet；　〃is　at　the　present
  moment　a　very　doubtful　thing。〃
  〃Doubtful！〃　cried　Dutocq；　〃why　doubtful？〃
  〃Well；　I　am　commissioned　to　propose　to　him　another　wife；　and　I'm　not
  sure　that　any　choice　is　left　to　him。〃
  〃What　the　devil　are　you　about；　my　dear　fellow；　lending　your　hand　in
  this　way　to　another　marriage　when　you　know　we　have　a　mortgage　on　the
  first？〃
  〃One　isn't　always　master　of　circumstances；　my　friend；　I　saw　at　once
  when　the　new　affair　was　laid　before　me　that　the　one　we　had　settled　on
  must　infallibly　go　by　the　board。　Consequently；　I've　tried　to　work　it
  round　in　our　interests；　yours　and　mine。〃
  〃Ah　ca！　do　you　mean　they　are　pulling　caps　for　this　Theodose？　Who　is
  the　new　match？　Has　she　money？〃
  〃The　'dot'　is　pretty　good；　quite　as　much　as　Mademoiselle
  Colleville's。〃
  〃Then　I　wouldn't　give　a　fig　for　it。　La　Peyrade　has　signed　those　notes
  and　he　will　pay　them。〃
  〃Will　he　pay　them？　that's　the　question。　You　are　not　a　business　man；
  neither　is　Theodose；　it　may　come　into　his　head　to　dispute　the　validity
  of　those　notes。　What　security　have　we　that　if　the　facts　about　their
  origin　should　come　out；　and　the　Thuillier　marriage　shouldn't　come　off；
  the　court　of　commerce　mightn't　annul　them　as　'obligations　without
  cause。'　For　my　part；　I　should　laugh　at　such　a　decision；　I　can　stand
  it；　and；　moreover；　my　precautions　are　taken；　but　you；　as　clerk　to　a
  justice…of…peace；　don't　you　see　that　such　an　affair　would　give　the
  chancellor　a　bone　to　pick　with　you？〃
  〃But；　my　good　fellow；〃　said　Dutocq；　with　the　ill…humor　of　a　man　who
  sees　himself　face　to　face　with　an　argument　he　can't　refute；　〃you　seem
  to　have　a　mania　for　stirring　up　matters　and　meddling　with〃
  〃I　tell　you　again；〃　said　Cerizet；　〃this　came　to　me；　I　didn't　seek　it；
  but　I　saw　at　once　that　there　was　no　use　struggling　against　the
  influence　that　is　opposing　us；　so　I　chose　the　course　of　saving
  ourselves　by　a　sacrifice。〃
  〃A　sacrifice！　what　sort　of　sacrifice？〃
  〃Parbleu！　I've　sold　my　share　of　those　notes；　leaving　those　who　bought
  them　to　fight　it　out　with　Master　barrister。〃
  〃Who　is　the　purchaser？〃
  〃Who　do　you　suppose　would　step　into　my　shoes　unless　it　were　the
  persons　who　have　an　interest　in　this　other　marriage；　and　who　want　to
  hold　a　power　over　Theodose；　and　control　him　by　force　if　necessary。〃
  〃Then　my　share　of　the　notes　is　equally　important　to　them？〃
  〃No　doubt；　but　I　couldn't　speak　for　you　until　I　had　consulted　you。〃
  〃What　do　they　offer？〃
  〃Hang　it！　my　dear　fellow；　the　same　that　I　accepted。　Knowing　better
  than　you　the　danger　of　their　competition　I　sold　out　to　them　on　very
  bad　terms。〃
  〃Well；　but　what　are　they；　those　terms？〃
  〃I　gave　up　my　shares　for　fifteen　thousand　francs。〃
  〃Come；　come！〃　said　Dutocq；