“Yes, mademoiselle,” interposed Cerizet; “behind that sum which this woman had lent him there was a mystery, and if I had not laid my hand on the true explanation, there would certainly have been a very dirty ending to it.  La Peyrade was clever enough not only to whitewash himself in Monsieur Thuillier’s eyes, but to get him to secure the debt.”

“But,” said Thuillier, “how do you know that I did give security for that debt, if you have not seen him since then?”

“I know it from the woman herself, who tells the whole story now she is certain of being paid.”

“Well,” said Brigitte to her brother, “a pretty business you are engaged in!”

“Mademoiselle,” said Cerizet, “I only meant to warn Monsieur Thuillier a little.  I think myself that you are sure to be paid.  Without knowing the exact particulars of this new marriage, I am certain the family would never allow him to owe you to such mortifying debts; if necessary, I should be very glad to intervene.”

“Monsieur,” said Thuillier, stiffly, “thanking you for your officious intervention, permit me to say that it surprises me a little, for the manner in which we parted would not have allowed me to hope it.”

“Ah ca!” said Cerizet; “you don’t think I was angry with you for that, do you?  I pitied you, that was all.  I saw you under the spell, and I said to myself:  ‘Leave him to learn la Peyrade by experience.’  I knew very well that the day of justice would dawn for me, and before long, too.  La Peyrade is a man who doesn’t make you wait for his questionable proceedings.”

“Allow me to say,” remarked Thuillier, “that I do not consider the rupture of the marriage we had proposed a questionable proceeding.  The matter was arranged, I may say, by mutual consent.”

“And the trick he is going to play you by leaving the paper in the lurch, and the debt he has saddled you with, what are they?”

“Monsieur Cerizet,” continued Thuillier, still holding himself on the reserve, “as I have said more than once to la Peyrade, no man is indispensable; and if the editorship of my paper becomes vacant, I feel confident that I shall at once meet with persons very eager to offer me their services.”

“Is it for me you say that?” asked Cerizet.  “Well, you haven’t hit the nail; if you did me the honor to want my services it would be impossible for me to grant them.  I have long been disgusted with journalism.  I let la Peyrade, I hardly know why, persuade me to make this campaign with you; it didn’t turn out happily, and I have vowed to myself to have no more to do with newspapers.  It was about another matter altogether than I came to speak to you.”

“Ah!” said Thuillier.