These　words；　〃go　and　see　Cerizet；〃　were　overheard　by　Minard；　who　was
  following　the　two　associates；　but　they　offered　no　meaning　to　his　mind。
  The　two　men　were　so　outside　of　his　own　course　and　projects　that　he
  heard　them　without　listening　to　them。
  〃This　has　been　one　of　the　finest　days　in　our　lives；〃　said　Brigitte　to
  her　brother；　when　she　found　herself　alone　with　him　in　the　deserted
  salon；　at　half…past　two　in　the　morning。　〃What　a　distinction！　to　be
  thus　selected　by　your　fellow…citizens！〃
  〃Don't　be　mistaken　about　it；　Brigitte；　we　owe　it　all；　my　child；　to　one
  man。〃
  〃What　man？〃
  〃To　our　friend；　la　Peyrade。〃
  CHAPTER　IX
  THE　BANKER　OF　THE　POOR
  It　was　not　on　the　next　day；　Monday；　but　on　the　following　day；　Tuesday；
  that　Dutocq　and　Theodose　went　to　see　Cerizet；　the　former　having　called
  la　Peyrade's　attention　to　the　fact　that　Cerizet　always　absented
  himself　on　Sundays　and　Mondays；　taking　advantage　of　the　total　absence
  of　clients　on　those　days；　which　are　devoted　by　the　populace　to
  debauch。　The　house　toward　which　they　directed　their　steps　is　one　of
  the　striking　features　in　the　faubourg　Saint…Jacques；　and　it　is　quite
  as　important　to　study　it　here　as　it　was　to　study　those　of　Phellion　and
  Thuillier。　It　is　not　known　（true；　no　commission　has　yet　been　appointed
  to　examine　this　phenomenon）；　no　one　knows　why　certain　quarters　become
  degraded　and　vulgarized；　morally　as　well　as　materially；　why；　for
  instance；　the　ancient　residence　of　the　court　and　the　church；　the
  Luxembourg　and　the　Latin　quarter；　have　become　what　they　are　to…day；　in
  spite　of　the　presence　of　the　finest　palaces　in　the　world；　in　spite　of
  the　bold　cupola　of　Sainte…Genevieve；　that　of　Mansard　on　the　Val…de…
  Grace；　and　the　charms　of　the　Jardin　des　Plantes。　One　asks　one's　self
  why　the　elegance　of　life　has　left　that　region；　why　the　Vauquer　houses；
  the　Phellion　and　the　Thuillier　houses　now　swarm　with　tenants　and
  boarders；　on　the　site　of　so　many　noble　and　religious　buildings；　and
  why　such　mud　and　dirty　trades　and　poverty　should　have　fastened　on　a
  hilly　piece　of　ground；　instead　of　spreading　out　upon　the　flat　land
  beyond　the　confines　of　the　ancient　city。
  The　angel　whose　beneficence　once　hovered　above　this　quarter　being
  dead；　usury；　on　the　lowest　scale；　rushed　in　and　took　his　place。　To　the
  old　judge；　Popinot；　succeeded　Cerizet；　and　strange　to　say；a　fact
  which　it　is　well　to　study；the　effect　produced；　socially　speaking；
  was　much　the　same。　Popinot　loaned　money　without　interest；　and　was
  willing　to　lose；　Cerizet　lost　nothing；　and　compelled　the　poor　to　work
  hard　and　stay　virtuous。　The　poor　adored　Popinot；　but　they　did　not　hate
  Cerizet。　Here；　in　this　region；　revolves　the　lowest　wheel　of　Parisian
  financiering。　At　the　top；　Nucingen　&　Co。；　the　Kellers；　du　Tillet；　and
  the　Mongenods；　a　little　lower　down；　the　Palmas；　Gigonnets；　and
  Gobsecks；　lower　still；　the　Samonons；　Chaboisseaus；　and　Barbets；　and
  lastly　（after　the　pawn…shops）　comes　this　king　of　usury；　who　spreads
  his　nets　at　the　corners　of　the　streets　to　entangle　all　miseries　and
  miss　none；Cerizet；　〃money　lender　by　the　little　week。〃
  The　frogged　frock…coat　will　have　prepared　you　for　the　den　in　which
  this　convicted　stock…broker　carried　on　his　present　business。
  The　house　was　humid　with　saltpetre；　the　walls；　sweating　moisture；　were
  enamelled　all　over　with　large　slabs　of　mould。　Standing　at　the　corner
  of　the　rue　des　Postes　and　rue　des　Poules；　it　presented　first　a　ground…
  floor；　occupied　partly　by　a　shop　for　the　sale　of　the　commonest　kind　of
  wine；　painted　a　coarse　bright　red；　decorated　with　curtains　of　red
  calico；　furnished　with　a　leaden　counter；　and　guarded　by　formidable
  iron　bars。　Above　the　gate　of　an　odious　alley　hung　a　frightful　lantern；
  on　which　were　the　words　〃Night　lodgings　here。〃　The　outer　walls　were
  covered　with　iron　crossbars；　showing；　apparently；　the　insecurity　of
  the　building；　which　was　owned　by　the　wine…merchant；　who　also　inhabited
  the　entresol。　The　widow　Poiret　（nee　Michonneau）　kept　furnished
  lodgings　on　the　first；　second；　and　third　floors；　consisting　of　single
  rooms　for　workmen　and　for　the　poorest　class　of　students。
  Cerizet　occupied　one　room　on　the　ground…floor　and　another　in　the
  entresol；　to　which　he　mounted　by　an　interior　staircase；　this　entresol
  looked　out　upon　a　horrible　paved　court；　from　which　arose　mephitic
  odors。　Cerizet　paid　forty　francs　a　month　to　the　widow　Poiret　for　his
  breakfast　and　dinner；　he　thus　conciliated　her　by　becoming　her　boarder；
  he　also　made　himself　acceptable　to　the　wine…merchant　by　procuring　him
  an　immense　sale　of　wine　and　liquors　among　his　clientsprofits
  realized　before　sunrise；　the　wine…shop　beginning　operations　about
  three　in　the　morning　in　summer；　and　five　in　winter。
  The　hour　of　the　great　Market；　which　so　many　of　his　clients；　male　and
  female；　attended；　was　the　determining　cause　of　Cerizet's　early　hours。
  The　Sieur　Cadenet；　the　wine…merchant；　in　view　of　the　custom　which　he
  owed　to　the　usurer；　had　let　him　the　two　rooms　for　the　low　price　of
  eighty　francs　a　year；　and　had　given　him　a　lease　for　twelve　years；
  which　Cerizet　alone　had　a　right　to　break；　without　paying　indemnity；　at
  three　months'　notice。　Cadenet　always　carried　in　a　bottle　of　excellent
  wine　for　the　dinner　of　this　useful　tenant；　and　when　Cerizet　was　short
  of　money　he　had　only　to　say　to　his　friend；　〃Cadenet；　lend　me　a　few
  hundred　francs；〃loans　which　he　faithfully　repaid。
  Cadenet；　it　was　said；　had　proof　of　the　widow　Poiret　having　deposited
  in　Cerizet's　hands　some　two　thousand　francs　for　investment；　which　may
  explain　the　progress　of　the　latter's　affairs　since　the　day　when　he
  first　took　up　his　abode　in　the　quarter；　supplied　with　a　last　note　of　a
  thousand　francs　and　Dutocq's　protection。　Cadenet；　prompted　by　a
  cupidity　which　success　increased；　had　proposed；　early　in　the　year；　to
  put　twenty　thousand　francs　into　the　hands　of　his　friend　Cerizet。　But
  Cerizet　had　positively　declined　them；　on　the　ground　that　he　ran　risks
  of　a　nature　to　become　a　possible　cause　of　dispute　with　associates。
  〃I　could　only；〃　he　said　to　Cadenet；　〃take　them　at　six　per　cent
  interest；　and　you　can　do　better　than　that　in　your　own　business。　We
  will　go　into　partnership　later；　if　you　like；　in　some　serious
  enterprise；　some　good　opportunity　which　may　require；　say；　fifty
  thousand　francs。　When　you　have　got　that　sum　to　invest；　let　me　know；
  and　we'll　talk　about　it。〃
  Cerizet　had　only　suggested　the　affair　of　the　house　to　Theodose　after
  making　sure　that　among　the　three；　Madame　Poiret；　Cadenet；　and　himself；
  it　was　impossible　to　raise　the　full　sum　of　one　hundred　thousand
  francs。
  The　〃lender　by　the　little　week〃　was　thus　in　perfect　safety　in　his　den；
  where　he　could　even；　if　necessity　came；　appeal　to　the　law。　On　certain
  mornings　there　might　be　seen　as　many　as　sixty　or　eighty　persons；　men
  as　often　as　women；　either　in　the　wine…shop；　or　the　alley；　or　sitting
  on　the　staircase；　for　the　distrustful　Cerizet　would　only　admit　six
  persons　at　a　time　into　his　office。　The　first　comers　were　first　served；
  and　each　had　to　go　by　his　number；　which　the　wine…merchant；　or　his
  shop…boy；　affixed　to　the　hats　of　the　man　and　the　backs　of　the　women。
  Sometimes　the　clients　would　sell　to　each　other　（as　hackney…coachmen　do
  on　the　cabstands）；　head　numbers　for　tail　numbers。　On　certain　days；
  when　the　market　business　was　pressing；　a　head　number　was　often　sold
  for　a　glass　of　brandy　and　a　sou。　The　numbers；　as　they　issued　from
  Cerizet's　office；　called　up　the　succeeding　numbers；　and　if　any
  disputes　arose　Cadenet　put　a　stop　to　the　fray　at　once　my　remarking：
  〃If　you　get　the　police　here　you　won't　gain　anything；　HE'll　shut　up
  shop。〃
  HE　was　Cerizet's　name。　When；　in　the　course　of　the　day；　some　hapless
  woman；　without　an　atom　of　food　in　her　room；　and　seeing　her　children
  pale　with　hunger；　would　come　to　borrow　ten　or　twenty　sous；　she　would
  say　to　the　wine…merchant　anxiously：
  〃Is　HE　there？〃
  Cadenet；　a　short；　stout　man；　dressed　in　blue；　with　outer　sleeves　of
  black　stuff　and　a　wine…merchant's　apron；　and　always　wearing　a　cap；
  seemed　an　angel　to　these　mothers　when　he　replied　to　them：
  〃HE　told　me　that　you　were　an　honest　woman　and　I　might　give　you　forty
  sous。　You　know　what　you　must　do　about　it〃
  And；　strange　to　say；　HE　was　blessed　by　these　poor　people；　even　as　they
  had　lately　blessed　Popinot。
  But　Cerizet　was　cursed　on　Sunday　mornings　when　accounts　were　settled；
  and　they　cursed　him　even　more　on　Saturdays；　when　it　was　necessary　to
  work　in　order　to　repay　the　sum　borrowed　with　interest。　But；　after　all；
  he　was　Providence；　he　was　God　from　Tuesday　to　Friday　of　every　week。
  The　room　which　he　made　his　office；　formerly　the　kitchen　of　the　next
  floor；　was　bare；　the　beams　of　the　ceiling　had　been　whitewashed；　but
  still　bore　marks　of　smoke。　The　walls；　along　which　he　had　put　benches；
  and　the　stone　floor；　retained　and　gave　out　dampness。　The　fireplace；
  where　the　crane　remained；　was　partly　filled　by　an　iron　stove　in　which
  Cerizet　burned　sea…coal　when　the　weather　was　severe。　A　platform　about
  half　a　foot　high　and　eight　feet　square　extended　from　the　edge　of　the
  fireplace；　on　it　was　fastened　a　common　table　and　an　armchair　with　a
  round　cushion　covered　with　green　leather。　Behind　him；　Cerizet　had
  sheathed　the　walls　with　planks；　als