When he had reached the Rue Montorgueil he turned underneath a large archway.

Verminet had gone into the office of M.B.Mascarin, and that person simply kept a Servants' Registry Office for domestics of both sexes.

In spite of his surprise, however, he determined to wait for Verminet to come out; and, not to give himself the air of loitering about the place, he crossed the road and appeared to be interested in watching three workmen who were engaged in fixing the revolving shutters to a new shop window.

Luckily for the young painter he had not to wait a very long while, for in less than a quarter of an hour Verminet came out, accompanied by two men.

The one was tall and thin, and wore a pair of spectacles with colored glasses, while the other was stout and ruddy, with the unmistakable air of a man of the world about him.