MOURONS POUR LA PATRIE! The next week was a busy one for me.

I spent it in scraping together every bit of cash I could lay my hands on.

If I could get together enough to pay the interest on the three hundred thousand dollars supposed to be invested in approved securities,--really disposed of in a manner only known to his Excellency,--I should have six months to look about me.

Now, remaining out of my "bonus" was _nil_, out of my "reserve fund" ten thousand dollars.

This was enough.