.

DU PORTAIL.
The next day Cerizet did not fail to appear at the rendezvous given to him.

Examined, at first, through the wicket of the door, he was admitted, after giving his name, into the house, and was ushered immediately to the study of Monsieur du Portail, whom he found at his desk.
Without rising, and merely making a sign to his guest to take a chair, the little old man continued the letter he was then writing.

After sealing it with wax, with a care and precision that denoted a nature extremely fastidious and particular, or else a man accustomed to discharge diplomatic functions, du Portail rang for Bruneau, his valet, and said, as he gave him the letter:-- "For the justice-of-peace of the arrondissement." Then he carefully wiped the steel pen he had just used, restored to their places, symmetrically, all the displaced articles on his desk, and it was only when these little arrangements were completed that he turned to Cerizet, and said:-- "You know, of course, that we lost that poor Monsieur Toupillier last night ?" "No, really ?" said Cerizet, putting on the most sympathetic air he could manage.

"This is my first knowledge of it." "But you probably expected it.