projects which the two men then formed before a fire of laths, one wrapped in his landlady’s counterpane, the other in his infamy, it is useless to relate.  The next day Cerizet, who had talked with Dutocq in the course of the morning, returned, bringing trousers, waistcoat, coat, hat, and boots, bought in the Temple, and he carried off Theodose to dine with himself and Dutocq.  The hungry Provencal ate at Pinson’s, rue de l’Ancienne Comedie, half of a dinner costing forty-seven francs.  At dessert, after Theodose had drunk freely, Cerizet said to him:—­

“Will you sign me bills of exchange for fifty thousand francs in your capacity as a barrister?”

“You couldn’t get five thousand on them.”

“That’s not your affair, but ours; I mean monsieur’s here, who is giving us this dinner, and mine, in a matter where you risk nothing, but in which you’ll get your title as barrister, a fine practice, and the hand in marriage of a girl about the age of an old dog, and rich by twenty or thirty thousand francs a year.  Neither Dutocq nor I can marry her; but we’ll equip you, give you the look of a decent man, feed and lodge you, and set you up generally.  Consequently, we want security.  I don’t say that on my own account, for I know you, but for monsieur here, whose proxy I am.  We’ll equip you as a pirate, hey! to do the white-slave trade!  If we can’t capture that ‘dot,’ we’ll try other plans.  Between ourselves, none of us need be particular what we touch—­that’s plain enough.  We’ll give you careful instructions; for the matter is certain to take time, and there’ll probably be some bother about it.  Here, see, I have brought stamped paper.”

“Waiter, pens and ink!” cried Theodose.

“Ha!  I like fellows of that kind!” exclaimed Dutocq.

“Sign:  ‘Theodose de la Peyrade,’ and after your name put ’Barrister, rue Saint-Dominique d’Enfer,’ under the words ’Accepted for ten thousand.’  We’ll date the notes and sue you,—­all secretly, of course, but in order to have a hold upon you; the owners of a privateer ought to have security when the brig and the captain are at sea.”

The day after this interview the bailiff of the justice-of-peace did Cerizet the service of suing la Peyrade secretly.  He went to see the barrister that evening, and the whole affair was done without any publicity.  The Court of commerce has a hundred such cases in the course of one term.  The strict regulations of the council of barristers of the bar of Paris are well known.  This body, and also the council of attorneys, exercise severe discipline over their members.  A barrister liable to go to Clichy would be disbarred.  Consequently, Cerizet, under Dutocq’s advice, had taken against their puppet measures which were certain to secure to each of them twenty-five thousand francs out of Celeste’s “dot.”  In signing the notes, Theodose saw but one thing,—­his means of living secured; but as time had gone on, and the horizon grew clearer, and he mounted, step by step, to a better position on the social ladder, he began to dream of getting rid of his associates.  And now, on obtaining twenty-five thousand francs from Thuillier, he hoped to treat on the basis of fifty per cent for the return of his fatal notes by Cerizet.