“Oh yes, sir.”

She brought the ink, and he drew out the check.

“Then when the young lady comes to see her mother you will be very attentive and kind to her too.  You must not wait for them to ask for this or that; you must come up to the door and say ’Will not the young lady have a cup of chocolate?’ or whatever you can suggest—­fruit, biscuits, wine, or what not.  And as these little extras will cost you something, I cannot allow you to be out of pocket; so here is a fund for you to draw from; and, of course, not a word to either of the ladies.  I think you understand?”

“Perfectly, sir,” said madame.

“Then, if I hear that you have been very kind and obliging, I suppose one might be allowed from time to time to send you a little present—­something to beautify your house with?  You have pretty rooms; you have shown great taste in decorating them.”

“Oh, not I, sir,” said the little Frenchwoman; “I took the house as it stands from Mr. ——.”

“The architect,” said Brand.  “Ah, that explains.  But I am surprised he should have used gas.”

“That was my doing,” said the landlady, with some pride.  “It is a great improvement.  It is so convenient, is it not?”

“My dear madame,” said Brand, seriously, “it cannot be convenient to have one’s lungs poisoned with the smoke of London gas.  You must on no account allow this lady who is coming to your house to sit through the long evenings with gas blazing over her head all the time; why, she would have continual headache.  No, no, you must get a couple of lamps—­one for the piano there, and a smaller reading-one fox this little table by the fire.  Then these sconces, you will get candles for them, of course; red ones look pretty—­not pink, but red.”

The French landlady seemed rather dismayed.  She had been all smiles and courtesy so far; but now the bargain did not promise to be so profitable if this was the way she was to begin.  But Brand pulled out his watch.

“If you will allow me,” said he, “I will go and get a few things to make the room look homely.  You see this lady must be made as comfortable as possible, for she will see no one but her daughter, and all the evenings she will be alone.  Now will you be so good as to have the fire lit?  And these little things I am about to get for you, of course they will become your property; only you need not say who presented them to you, you perceive?”

The little woman’s face grew happy again, and she assured him fervently and repeatedly that he might trust her to do her best for this lady about whom he seemed so anxious.