“It seems,” said Brigitte, re-entering the salon, “that Thuillier finds some great interest in that creature’s talk, for he ordered me bluntly to leave them, though the little old fellow did say, rather civilly, that they would soon be through.  But Jerome added:  ’Mind, you are to wait for me.’  Really, since he has taken to making newspapers I don’t know him; he has set up an air as if he were leading the world with his wand.”

“I am very much afraid he is being entangled by some adventurer,” said la Peyrade.  “I am pretty sure I saw that old man at Madame de Godollo’s the day I went to warn her off the premises; he must be of the same stripe.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” cried Brigitte.  “I’d have asked him for news of the countess, and let him see we knew what we knew of his Hungarian.”

Just then the sound of moving chairs was heard, and Brigitte darted back to the keyhole.

“Yes,” she said, “he is really going, and Thuillier is bowing him out respectfully!”

As Thuillier did not immediately return, Colleville had time to go to the window and exclaim at seeing the little old gentleman driving away in an elegant coupe, of which the reader has already heard.

“The deuce!” cried Colleville; “what an ornate livery!  If he is an adventurer he is a number one.”

At last Thuillier re-entered the room, his face full of care, his manner extremely grave.

“My dear la Peyrade,” he said, “you did not tell us that another proposal of marriage had been seriously considered by you.”

“Yes, I did; I told you that a very rich heiress had been offered to me, but that my inclinations were here, and that I had not given any encouragement to the affair; consequently, of course, there was no serious engagement.”

“Well, I think you do wrong to treat that proposal so lightly.”

“What! do you mean to say, in presence of these ladies, that you blame me for remaining faithful to my first desires and our old engagement?”

“My friend, the conversation that I have just had has been a most instructive one to me; and when you know what I know, with other details personal to yourself, which will be confided to you, I think that you will enter into my ideas.  One thing is certain; we shall not go to the notary to-day; and as for you, the best thing that you can do is to go, without delay, to Monsieur du Portail.”

“That name again! it pursues me like a remorse,” exclaimed la Peyrade.

“Yes; go at once; he is awaiting you.  It is an indispensable preliminary before we can go any farther.  When you have seen that excellent man and heard what he has to say to you—­well, then if you persist in claiming Celeste’s hand, we might perhaps carry out our plans.  Until then we shall take no steps in the matter.”

“But, my poor Thuillier,” said Brigitte, “you have let yourself be gammoned by a rascal; that man belongs to the Godollo set.”