my　eyes　are　dry　now。　Ha；　ha！　now　I　laugh；　I　feel　my　strength　come　back
  to　me；　power　is　mine！　Oh！　say　that　you　love　me；　say　it　again！　At　this
  moment　it　sounds　like　the　word　'Pardon'　to　the　man　condemned　to
  death！〃
  〃You　are　terrible；　my　friend！〃　cried　Flavie。　〃Oh！　you　are　killing　me。〃
  She　understood　nothing　of　all　this；　but　she　fell　upon　the　sofa；
  exhausted　by　the　spectacle。　Theodose　flung　himself　at　her　feet。
  〃Forgive　me！　forgive　me！〃　he　said。
  〃But　what　is　the　matter？　what　is　it？〃　she　asked　again。
  〃They　are　trying　to　destroy　me。　Oh！　promise　to　give　me　Celeste；　and
  you　shall　see　what　a　glorious　life　I　will　make　you　share。　If　you
  hesitatevery　good；　that　is　saying　you　will　be　wholly　mine；　and　I
  will　have　you！〃
  He　made　so　rapid　a　movement　that　Flavie；　terrified；　rose　and　moved
  away。
  〃Oh！　my　saint！〃　he　cried；　〃at　thy　feet　I　falla　miracle！　God　is　for
  me；　surely！　A　flash　of　light　has　come　to　mean　ideasuddenly！　Oh；
  thanks；　my　good　angel；　my　grand　Saint…Theodose！　thou　hast　saved　me！〃
  Flavie　could　not　help　admiring　that　chameleon　being；　one　knee　on　the
  floor；　his　hands　crossed　on　his　breast；　and　his　eyes　raised　to　heaven
  in　religious　ecstasy；　he　recited　a　prayer；　he　was　a　fervent　Catholic；
  he　reverently　crossed　himself。　It　was　fine；　like　the　vision　of　Saint…
  Jerome。
  〃Adieu！〃　he　said；　with　a　melancholy　look　and　a　moving　tone　of　voice。
  〃Oh！〃　cried　Flavie；　〃leave　me　this　handkerchief。〃
  Theodose　rushed　away　like　one　possessed；　sprang　into　the　street；　and
  darted　towards　the　Thuilliers'；　but　turned；　saw　Flavie　at　her　window；
  and　made　her　a　little　sign　of　triumph。
  〃What　a　man！〃　she　thought　to　herself。
  〃Dear；　good　friend；〃　he　said　to　Thuillier；　in　a　calm　and　gentle；
  almost　caressing　voice；　〃we　have　fallen　into　the　hands　of　atrocious
  scoundrels。　But　I　mean　to　read　them　a　lesson。〃
  〃What　has　happened？〃　asked　Brigitte。
  〃They　want　twenty…five　thousand　francs；　and；　in　order　to　get　the
  better　of　us；　the　notary；　or　his　accomplices；　have　determined　to　bid
  in　the　property。　Thuillier；　put　five　thousand　francs　in　your　pocket
  and　come　with　me；　I　will　secure　that　house　to　you。　I　am　making　myself
  implacable　enemies！〃　he　cried；　〃they　are　seeking　to　destroy　me
  morally。　But　all　I　ask　is　that　you　will　disregard　their　infamous
  calumnies　and　feel　no　change　of　heart　to　me。　After　all；　what　is　it？　If
  I　succeed；　you　will　only　have　paid　one　hundred　and　twenty…five
  thousand　francs　for　the　house　instead　of　one　hundred　and　twenty。〃
  〃Provided　the　same　thing　doesn't　happen　again；〃　said　Brigitte；
  uneasily；　her　eyes　dilating　under　the　effect　of　a　violent　suspicion。
  〃Preferred　creditors　have　alone　the　right　to　bid　in　property；　and　as；
  in　this　case；　there　is　but　one；　and　he　has　used　that　right；　we　are
  safe。　The　amount　of　his　claim　is　really　only　two　thousand　francs；　but
  there　are　lawyers；　attorneys；　and　so　forth；　to　pay　in　such　matters；
  and　we　shall　have　to　drop　a　note　of　a　thousand　francs　to　make　the
  creditor　happy。〃
  〃Go；　Thuillier；〃　said　Brigitte；　〃get　your　hat　and　gloves；　and　take　the
  moneyfrom　you　know　where。〃
  〃As　I　paid　those　fifteen　thousand　francs　without　success；　I　don't　wish
  to　have　any　more　money　pass　through　my　hands。　Thuillier　must　pay　it
  himself；〃　said　Theodose；　when　he　found　himself　alone　with　Brigitte。
  〃You　have；　however；　gained　twenty　thousand　on　the　contract　I　enabled
  you　to　make　with　Grindot；　who　thought　he　was　serving　the　notary；　and
  you　own　a　piece　of　property　which　in　five　years　will　be　worth　nearly　a
  million。　It　is　what　is　called　a　'boulevard　corner。'〃
  Brigitte　listened　uneasily；　precisely　like　a　cat　which　hears　a　mouse
  within　the　wall。　She　looked　Theodose　straight　in　the　eye；　and；　in
  spite　of　the　truth　of　his　remarks；　doubts　possessed　her。
  〃What　troubles　you；　little　aunt？〃
  〃Oh！　I　shall　be　in　mortal　terror　until　that　property　is　securely
  ours。〃
  〃You　would　be　willing　to　give　twenty　thousand　francs；　wouldn't　you；〃
  said　Theodose；　〃to　make　sure　that　Thuillier　was　what　we　call；　in　law；
  'owner　not　dispossessable'　of　that　property？　Well；　then；　remember　that
  I　have　saved　you　twice　that　amount。〃
  〃Where　are　we　going？〃　asked　Thuillier；　returning。
  〃To　Maitre　Godeschal！　We　must　employ　him　as　our　attorney。〃
  〃But　we　refused　him　for　Celeste。〃
  〃Well；　that's　one　reason　for　going　to　him；〃　replied　Theodose。　〃I　have
  taken　his　measure；　he's　a　man　of　honor；　and　he'll　think　it　a　fine
  thing　to　do　you　a　service。〃
  Godeschal；　now　Derville's　successor；　had　formerly　been；　for　more　than
  two　years；　head…clerk　with　Desroches。　Theodose；　to　whom　that
  circumstance　was　known；　seemed　to　hear　the　name　flung　into　his　ear　in
  the　midst　of　his　despair　by　an　inward　voice；　and　he　foresaw　a
  possibility　of　wrenching　from　the　hands　of　Claparon　the　weapon　with
  which　Cerizet　had　threatened　him。　He　must；　however；　in　the　first
  instance；　gain　an　entrance　to　Desroches；　and　get　some　light　on　the
  actual　situation　of　his　enemies。　Godeschal；　by　reason　of　the　intimacy
  still　existing　between　the　former　clerk　and　his　old　master；　could　be
  his　go…between。　When　the　attorneys　of　Paris　have　ties　like　those　which
  bound　Godeschal　and　Desroches　together；　they　live　in　true　fraternity；
  and　the　result　is　a　facility　in　arranging　any　matters　which　are；　as
  one　may　say；　arrangeable。　They　obtain　from　one　another；　on　the　ground
  of　reciprocity；　all　possible　concessions　by　the　application　of　the
  proverb；　〃Pass　me　the　rhubarb；　and　I'll　pass　you　the　senna；〃　which　is
  put　in　practice　in　all　professions；　between　ministers；　soldiers；
  judges；　business　men；　wherever；　in　short；　enmity　has　not　raised
  barriers　too　strong　and　high　between　the　parties。
  〃I　gain　a　pretty　good　fee　out　of　this　compromise；〃　is　a　reason　that
  needs　no　expression　in　words：　it　is　visible　in　the　gesture；　the　tone；
  the　glance；　and　as　attorneys　and　solicitors　meet　constantly　on　this
  ground；　the　matter；　whatever　it　is；　is　arranged。　The　counterpoise　of
  this　fraternal　system　is　found　in　what　we　may　call　professional
  conscience。　The　public　must　believe　the　physician　who　says；　giving
  medical　testimony；　〃This　body　contains　arsenic〃；　nothing　is　supposed
  to　exceed　the　integrity　of　the　legislator；　the　independence　of　the
  cabinet　minister。　In　like　manner；　the　attorney　of　Paris　says　to　his
  brother　lawyer；　good…humoredly；　〃You　can't　obtain　that；　my　client　is
  furious；〃　and　the　other　answers；　〃Very　good；　I　must　do　without　it。〃
  Now；　la　Peyrade；　a　shrewd　man；　had　worn　his　legal　gown　about　the
  Palais　long　enough　to　know　how　these　judicial　morals　might　be　made　to
  serve　his　purpose。
  〃Sit　in　the　carriage；〃　he　said　to　Thuillier；　when　they　reached　the　rue
  Vivienne；　where　Godeschal　was　now　master　of　the　practice　he　had
  formerly　served　as　clerk。　〃You　needn't　show　yourself　until　he
  undertakes　the　affair。〃
  It　was　eleven　o'clock　at　night；　la　Peyrade　was　not　mistaken　in
  supposing　that　he　should　find　a　newly　fledged　master　of　a　practice　in
  his　office　at　that　hour。
  〃To　what　do　I　owe　this　visit；　monsieur？〃　said　Godeschal；　coming
  forward　to　meet　the　barrister。
  Foreigners；　provincials；　and　persons　in　high　society　may　not　be　aware
  that　barristers　are　to　attorneys　what　generals　are　to　marshals。　There
  exists　a　line　of　demarcation；　strictly　maintained；　between　the　order
  of　barristers　and　the　guild　of　attorneys　and　solicitors　in　Paris。
  However　venerable　an　attorney　may　be；　however　capable　and　strong　in
  his　profession；　he　must　go　to　the　barrister。　The　attorney　is　the
  administrator；　who　maps　out　the　plan　of　the　campaign；　collects　the
  munitions　of　war；　and　puts　the　force　in　motion；　the　barrister　gives
  battle。　It　is　not　known　why　the　law　gives　a　man　two　men　to　defend　him
  any　more　than　it　is　known　why　an　author　is　forced　to　have　both　printer
  and　publisher。　The　rules　of　the　bar　forbid　its　members　to　do　any　act
  belonging　to　the　guild　of　attorneys。　It　is　very　rare　that　a　barrister
  puts　his　foot　in　an　attorney's　office；　the　two　classes　meet　in　the
  law…courts。　In　society；　there　is　no　barrier　between　them；　and　some
  barristers；　those　in　la　Peyrade's　situation　particularly；　demean
  themselves　by　calling　occasionally　on　attorneys；　though　even　these
  cases　are　rare；　and　are　usually　excused　by　some　special　urgency。
  〃I　have　come　on　important　business；〃　replied　la　Peyrade；　〃it　concerns；
  especially；　a　question　of　delicacy　which　you　and　I　ought　to　solve
  together。　Thuillier　is　below；　in　a　carriage；　and　I　have　come　up　to　see
  you；　not　as　a　barrister；　but　as　his　friend。　You　are　in　a　position　to
  do　him　an　immense　service；　and　I　have　told　him　that　you　have　too　noble
  a　soul　（as　a　worthy　successor　of　our　great　Derville　must　have）　not　to
  put　your　utmost　capacity　at　his　orders。　Here's　the　affair。〃
  After　explaining；　wholly　to　his　own　advantage；　the　swindling　trick
  which　must；　he　said；　be　met　with　caution　and　ability；　the　barrister
  developed　his　plan　of　campaign。
  〃You　ought；　my　dear　maitre；　to　go　this　very　evening　to　Desroches；
  explain　the　whole　plot　and　persuade　him　to　send　to…morrow　for　his
  client；　this　Sauvaignou。　We'll　confess　the　fellow　between　us；　and　if
  he　wants　a　note　for　a　thousand　francs　over　and　above　the　amount　of　his
  claim；　we'll　let　him　have　it；　not　counting　the　five　hundred　for　you
  and　as　much　more　for　Desroches；　provided　Thuil