La Peyrade’s whole future and fortune lay in the outcome of this conference.  It is therefore not astonishing that he disregarded the customs of the bar and went to Desroches’s office, to study Sauvaignou and take part in the struggle, in spite of the danger he ran in thus placing himself visibly before the eyes of one of the most dreaded attorneys in Paris.

As he entered the office and made his salutations, he took note of Sauvaignou.  The man was, as the name had already told him, from Marseilles,—­the foreman of a master-carpenter, entrusted with the giving out of sub-contracts.  The profits of this work consisted of what he could make between the price he paid for the work and that paid to him by the master-carpenter; this agreement being exclusive of material, his contract being only for labor.  The master-carpenter had failed.  Sauvaignou had thereupon appealed to the court of commerce for recognition as creditor with a lien on the property.  He was a stocky little man, dressed in a gray linen blouse, with a cap on his head, and was seated in an armchair.  Three banknotes, of a thousand francs each, lying visibly before him on Desroches’s desk, informed la Peyrade that the negotiation had already taken place, and that the lawyers were worsted.  Godeschal’s eyes told the rest, and the glance which Desroches cast at the “poor man’s advocate” was like the blow of a pick-axe into the earth of a grave.  Stimulated by his danger, the Provencal became magnificent.  He coolly took up the bank-notes and folded them, as if to put them in his pocket, saying to Desroches:—­

“Thuillier has changed his mind.”

“Very good; then we are all agreed,” said the terrible attorney.

“Yes; your client must now hand over to us the fifty thousand francs we have spent on finishing the house, according to the contract between Thuillier and Grindot.  I did not tell you that yesterday,” he added, turning to Godeschal.

“Do you hear that?” said Desroches to Sauvaignou.  “That’s a case I shall not touch without proper guarantees.”

“But, messieurs,” said Sauvaignou, “I can’t negotiate this matter until I have seen the worthy man who paid me five hundred francs on account for having signed him that bit of a proxy.”

“Are you from Marseilles?” said la Peyrade, in patois.

“Oh! if he tackles him with patois the fellow is beaten,” said Godeschal to Desroches in a low tone.

“Yes, monsieur,” replied the Marseillais.

“Well, you poor devil,” continued Theodose, “don’t you see that they want to ruin you?  Shall I tell you what you ought to do?  Pocket these three thousand francs, and when your worthy man comes after you, take your rule and hit him a rap over the knuckles; tell him he’s a rascal who wants you to do his dirty work, and instead of that you revoke your proxy and will pay him his five hundred francs in the week with three Thursdays.  Then be off with you to Marseilles with these three thousand francs and your savings in your pocket.  If anything happens to you there, let me know through these gentlemen, and I’ll get you out of the scrape; for, don’t you see?  I’m not only a Provencal, but I’m also one of the leading lawyers in Paris, and the friend of the poor.”