As soon as Cherami had left him, Gustave went to Monsieur Grandcourt.

"Now that I am to be married, my dear uncle," he said, "you can understand that I don't care about travelling any more. But, in our business, we always need someone to represent us in foreign countries. Wouldn't it be possible——"

"I see what you are coming at," interrupted the banker, shaking his head; "you are going to talk to me again about your Monsieur Cherami."

"Well, yes. Am I wrong about it; hasn't he given me proof enough of his friendship and his devotion? He had shrewdly guessed that Adolphine loved me."

"Why didn't he tell you sooner, then?"

"Would I have listened to him?—Come, uncle, you are so good to me! You overwhelm me with kindness. You give me an interest in your business. Will you do nothing for a man who is my friend? He was wild and dissipated in his youth; now he has reformed."

"Where's the proof of it?"

"Why, his most earnest desire is to find a place; and I assure you that he is capable of filling it."

"I don't doubt that. The fellow is intelligent and talented, and has excellent manners when he chooses, but——"

"But what?"

"Well, he doesn't inspire me with confidence; and, to represent us, we must have a man of honor, above all things."

"You have an erroneous opinion of Cherami. He may have borrowed money, have incurred debts which he hasn't paid, but solely from lack of means. In a word, he has been very unfortunate. Do you impute it to him as a crime that he has endured poverty cheerfully, and has had confidence in the future? Poor fellow! And I led him to hope for a favorable answer, and told him to come here for it to-morrow!"

Monsieur Grandcourt made no reply; he seemed to be lost in thought. Gustave was distressed by the ill-success of his attempt. Suddenly his uncle exclaimed:

"Did you say that Monsieur Cherami was to come here to see you to-morrow?"

"Yes, uncle."

"Where are you to meet him, in your room or your office?"

"At my office."

"Did you indicate to him exactly that he was to follow the corridor, then turn to the left?"

"Yes, uncle."

"At what time is he to be here?"

"At noon. He will be prompt; he never fails to keep an appointment."

"Very well; about two o'clock to-morrow, I will give you a definite answer on the subject of your protÉgÉ."

"And it will be favorable, will it not, uncle?"

"I can't tell you yet. By the way, I shall be obliged to you if you will not be in your office at noon."

"Not be there, uncle? But Cherami is coming!"

"Don't be disturbed about that; that's my affair. Go to pass the morning with your fiancÉe."

"Oh! I ask nothing better."

"And return about two o'clock. I will tell you then my decision as to Monsieur Cherami."

The clock had just struck twelve when Cherami entered the banking-house on the following day. He cherished no vain hopes; he did not anticipate a favorable reply; but, with his customary philosophy, he said to himself:

"That won't prevent me from going to Gustave's wedding and enjoying myself."

As he was perfectly familiar with the way to the offices, Cherami entered the vestibule on the street floor; at the right was a door leading to the general offices, and in front, the door of a long corridor on which several other doors opened. That was the corridor he was to take to reach Gustave's office. Cherami passed through the door and walked straight ahead. He had just passed Monsieur Grandcourt's private office, when his foot struck something of considerable size; he stooped, looked to see what it was, and picked up a portfolio.

His first impulse was to examine what he had found. It was a very simple portfolio, of green morocco, with no monogram or initials; but in one of the compartments was a thick package of banknotes. Cherami counted them; they amounted to twenty-five thousand francs. He looked through all the other compartments, but found no letters, no papers, nothing to tell him to whom it belonged.

"Par la sambleu! this is a find!" said Cherami to himself. "Twenty-five thousand francs! A very pretty little sum! Who can have lost it? I don't see anybody; but I mustn't forget that Gustave is waiting for me."

He put the portfolio in his pocket, and kept on to the end of the corridor; then turned to the left, took another short corridor, saw a door in front of him, and turned the knob; but the door did not open.

"What's this? locked? Yes, it is locked," said Cherami to himself. "Gustave must have forgotten the appointment. When he's just on the brink of matrimony, it's quite excusable. I may as well go. But that portfolio? Let's go and inquire at the cashier's office."

The counting-room was at the end of the long corridor. Cherami had passed it once without noticing that it was closed: it was Sunday, a holiday.

But as he turned back toward the door of the counting-room, Cherami exclaimed:

"Upon my word! everything is closed to-day! It's very strange! One would say that circumstances conspired to enable me to appropriate this portfolio with impunity!"

He walked back along the corridor as far as the banker's door; there he halted, saying:

"Let's see if this one is locked, too."

But that door yielded to his pressure, and Cherami found Monsieur Grandcourt in his usual seat. He could not master a slight movement as Cherami appeared, but he instantly repressed it, and greeted him with the customary cool nod, and without rising.

"I have come once more to bore you, monsieur," said his visitor; "I had no intention of doing so, however; but Gustave made an appointment with me for this noon, and I do not find him."

"I don't know where he is, monsieur."

"He was to give me an answer about—about something. I can guess that he had nothing favorable to tell me; that is why he is not here."

"In that case, monsieur, what do you want of me?"

"Oh! mon Dieu! nothing, except to hand you this portfolio, which I found in your corridor; and as the person who lost it will probably come here in search of it, you will please return it to him. If I had found anybody in the counting-room, I would not have disturbed you, I promise you!"

As he spoke, Cherami took the portfolio from his pocket and placed it on the banker's desk. The latter's expression had changed completely; the liveliest satisfaction was depicted on every feature. However, he strove to conceal his pleasure, as he said:

"Aha! you found this, you say—near here?"

"In the corridor. I knocked at several doors, but they are all locked."

"Do you know what it contains?"

"Yes; twenty-five thousand francs in banknotes. Count them, and you will see. Nothing else: no letters, no address, nothing to indicate to whom it belongs."

"Do you know, monsieur, that this is very well done of you?" said Monsieur Grandcourt, turning to Cherami, and looking at him for the first time with a kindly expression.

"Well done of me! because I return a portfolio that I found? Tell me, in God's name, did you take me for a thief, for a man who keeps what doesn't belong to him? Sapristi! I don't propose that people shall hold that opinion of me, and you must——"

"Come, come! cool down, hot-head! I haven't a bad opinion of you. Do you propose to pick a quarrel with me?"

"You seem surprised that I do a perfectly simple thing—that I am honest!"

"Let us forget that.—Now, do you care to accept the position of our travelling man? The duties are simply to go to see our correspondents abroad, and keep us informed as to their orders. As you see, it's by no means an unpleasant post. We will give you six thousand francs a year and all your expenses paid. Does that suit you?"

"Does it suit me! why, it delights me beyond words! Dear uncle of my friend! Permit me—no, it's foolish for men to kiss—give me your hand, that's better."

"There it is, Monsieur Cherami; and henceforth you can number me among your true friends."

"Their number isn't very great: you and Gustave, that's all."

"Permit me also to advance you two thousand francs on your salary; you may have purchases to make, some troublesome little debts to pay."

"Faith! I have, indeed. I will pay Capucine and Blanquette, two creditors of long standing, who have not been very troublesome. I am sure that they were never anxious; but they have waited long enough. This evening, I will send them what I owe them. They will be surprised; but they'll take it."

A few days later, Gustave married Adolphine, who obtained at last the reward of the sincere and devoted love which she had hidden so long in the bottom of her heart.

Fanny never saw her sister after she became Gustave's wife. The little widow could not forgive herself for having refused a man who eventually had more than forty thousand francs a year; especially as nobody else came forward to take his place.

Monsieur Batonnin was greatly vexed by the rejection of his hand. When he learned that it was Gustave who was preferred to him, he was tempted to make ill-natured remarks, because he, in common with many others, thought that Gustave must be a coward, as he allowed Cherami to fight for him. But when he came face to face with Adolphine's beloved, when he saw the scar of the famous sword-cut, Monsieur Batonnin became smiling and soft-spoken once more, and congratulated Gustave on his new choice.

Some months after Gustave's marriage, Cherami, who had become a dandy once more in respect to dress, happening to pass the omnibus office near Porte Saint-Martin, met Madame Capucine and her two boys. He greeted the corpulent dame cordially, saying:

"Do you happen to be going to your aunt's again? But, no; this isn't the direction."

"Excuse me; she isn't at Saint-MandÉ now, she's gone back to Romainville; she feels better there."

"Does she eat as many rabbits?"

"No, too many were stolen; she got sick of 'em."

"Then, I will call again to see dear Madame Duponceau."

"Oh! yes, as you did before; when you leave the house, that's the last we see of you. Come now, with us."

"I can't possibly to-day; I see two young ladies yonder looking for me."

Cherami had caught sight of Mesdemoiselles Laurette and Lucie at the corner of the boulevard, where they had stopped to stare at him, and were saying to each other:

"Is it really him? How finely he's dressed now!"

"Yes, it certainly is him. Don't you see, his nose is still crooked."

"But now he's dressed so fine, that don't look very bad; he has a very stylish air, I tell you."

Cherami approached the two friends, and saluted them with a gracious bow, saying:

"Really, this square is very good to me; for I remember, mesdemoiselles, that it was in front of this same omnibus office that I first had the pleasure of seeing you."

"That is true, monsieur; but we are still simple working-girls, while you, monsieur, you seem to have made your fortune."

"No, mesdemoiselles; I haven't made my fortune. I have just straightened myself out, reformed a bit, and I have found a place which I am determined to fill satisfactorily. Twice before, when I met you, I invited you to dine; and I should have been sadly embarrassed if you had accepted, for I hadn't a sou in my pocket. To-day, my pocket is well lined, and yet I shall not repeat my invitation, because I represent the firm of Grandcourt & Nephew, and, as such representative, I have determined to change my mode of life. But that will not prevent me from offering each of you a bouquet, for the most virtuous man is always at liberty to be gallant."

With that, Cherami purchased, from a flower-girl at the corner, two superb bouquets, which he bestowed upon Mesdemoiselles Laurette and Lucie. Then he saluted them anew and took his leave of them, saying to himself:

"I behaved like Cato! And I am the more inclined to congratulate myself, because, in my new lodgings on Rue de Richelieu, I have, on the same floor, a charming neighbor—well dressed, with a distinguished air—a widow with a modest competence—who has responded to my salutations with the most gracious smiles; and, faith! I have my cue!"