“Well,” said he, in a tone of eager inquiry.

“Your father,” returned Andre, “is terribly angry with you, but I hope to be able to induce him to do something for you.”

“Will he set Zora at liberty?”

“Perhaps he will; but first he must have something more from you than promises—­he must have stable guarantees.”

At these words Gaston’s face fell.  “Guarantees,” answered he sulkily.  “Is not my word of honor enough?  What sort of guarantees does he require?”

“That I cannot tell you, and you must find out for yourself; but I will do all I can for you.”

Gaston gazed upon Andre in surprise.

“Do you mean to tell me,” asked he, “that you can do pretty well what you like with the governor?”

“Not exactly; but surely you can see that I have a good deal of influence over him.  If you want a proof of this, see, here is the money to take up these bills you told me of.”

“What, Verminet’s?”

“I suppose so.  I am speaking of those to which you were mad enough to forge another man’s name.”

Foolish as the boy was, this act of his had caused him many a sleepless night, and he had reflected very often how he could possibly escape from the consequence of his act of rashness.

“Give me the money,” cried he.

Andre shook his head, however.  “Forgive me,” said he, “but this money does not quit my hand until the bills are handed over to me.  Your father’s orders on this point are decided; but the sooner we settle the affair the better.”

“That is too bad; the governor is as sly as a fox; but he must have his own way, I suppose, so come on.  Only just wait till I slip on a coat more suitable to my position than this lounging suit.”

He rushed away, and was back again in ten minutes as neat as a new pin, and full of gayety and good spirits.

“We can walk,” said he, putting his arm through Andre’s.  “We have to go to the Rue St. Anne.”

Verminet had his office in this street—­the office of the Mutual Loan Society, of which he was the managing director.  The house, in spite of its grandiloquent title, was of excessively shabby exterior.  The Mutual Loan Society was frequented by those who, having lost their credit, wished to obtain a fresh amount, and who, having no money, wanted to borrow some.

Verminet’s plan of financial operations was perfectly simple.  A tradesman on the verge of bankruptcy would come to him, Verminet would look into his case and make him sign bills for the sum he required, handing him in exchange bills drawn by other tradesman in quite as serious a predicament as himself, and pocketed a commission of two per cent. upon both the transactions.  Verminet obtained clients from the simple fact that an embarrassed tradesman is utterly reckless, cares not what he signs, and will clutch at a straw to keep his head above water.  But there were many other transactions carried on at the office of the Mutual Loan Society, for its largest means of income was drawn from even less respectable sources, and it was alleged that many of these bogus bills which are occasionally cashed by some respectable bankers were manufactured there.  At any rate, Verminet managed to make money somehow.