e　voice　of　his　old　comrade　completed　the　awakening　of　whatever　there　remained　of　human　in　that　packet　of　gelatine。
  His　old　chum！　It　was　the　first　time　for　ten　yearssince　their　quarrel　that　he　had　seen　him　so　near。　How　many　things　were　recalled　to　him　by　those　sun…tanned　features；　those　broad　shoulders；　so　ill　adapted　for　the　wearing　of　embroidered　coats！　The　thin　woollen　rug　full　of　holes；　in　which　they　used　to　wrap　themselves　both　to　sleep　on　the　bridge　of　the　/Sinai/；　the　food　shared　in　brotherly　fashion；　the　wanderings　through　the　burned…up　country　round　Marseilles；　where　they　used　to　steal　big　onions　and　eat　them　raw　by　the　side　of　some　ditch；　the　dreams；　the　schemings；　the　pence　put　into　a　common　fund；　and；　when　fortune　had　begun　to　smile　on　them；　the　fun　they　had　had　together；　those　excellent　quiet　little　suppers　over　which　they　would　tell　each　other　everything；　with　their　elbows　on　the　table。
  How　can　one　ever　reach　the　point　of　seriously　quarrelling　when　one　knows　the　other　so　well；　when　they　have　lived　together　like　two　twins　at　the　breast　of　the　lean　and　strong　nurse；　Poverty；　sharing　her　sour　milk　and　her　rough　caresses！　These　thoughts　passed　through　Hemerlingue's　mind　like　a　flash　of　lightning。　Almost　instinctively　he　let　his　heavy　hand　fall　into　the　one　which　the　Nabob　was　holding　out　to　him。　Something　of　the　primitive　animal　was　roused　in　them；　something　stronger　than　their　enmity；　and　these　two　men；　each　of　whom　for　ten　years　had　been　trying　to　bring　the　other　to　ruin　and　disgrace；　fell　to　talking　without　any　reserve。
  Generally；　between　friends　newly　met；　after　the　first　effusions　are　over；　a　silence　comes　as　if　they　had　no　more　to　tell　each　other；　while　it　is　in　reality　the　abundance　of　things；　their　precipitate　rush；　that　prevents　them　from　finding　utterance。　The　two　chums　had　touched　that　condition；　but　Jansoulet　kept　a　tight　grasp　on　the　banker's　arm；　fearing　to　see　him　escape　and　resist　the　kindly　impulse　he　had　just　roused。
  〃You　are　not　in　a　hurry；　are　you？　We　can　take　a　little　walk；　if　you　like。　It　has　stopped　raining；　the　air　is　pleasant；　one　feels　twenty　years　younger。〃
  〃Yes；　it　is　pleasant；〃　said　Hemerlingue；　〃only　I　cannot　walk　for　long；　my　legs　are　heavy。〃
  〃True；　your　poor　legs。　See；　there　is　a　bench　over　there。　Let　us　go　and　sit　down。　Lean　on　me；　old　friend。〃
  And　the　Nabob；　with　brotherly　aid；　led　him　to　one　of　those　benches　dotted　here　and　there　among　the　tombs；　on　which　those　inconsolable　mourners　rest　who　make　the　cemetery　their　usual　walk　and　abode。　He　settled　him　in　his　seat；　gazed　upon　him　tenderly；　pitied　him　for　his　infirmity；　and；　following　what　was　quite　a　natural　channel　in　such　a　spot；　they　came　to　talking　of　their　health；　of　the　old　age　that　was　approaching。　This　one　was　dropsical；　the　other　subject　to　apoplectic　fits。　Both　were　in　the　habit　of　dosing　themselves　with　the　Jenkins　pearls；　a　dangerous　remedywitness　Mora；　so　quickly　carried　off。
  〃My　poor　duke！〃　said　Jansoulet。
  〃A　great　loss　to　the　country；〃　remarked　the　banker　with　an　air　of　conviction。
  And　the　Nabob　added　naively：
  〃For　me　above　all；　for　me；　for；　if　he　had　lived　Ah！　what　luck　you　have；　what　luck　you　have！〃
  Fearing　to　have　wounded　him；　he　went　on　quickly：
  〃And　then；　too；　you　are　clever；　so　very　clever。〃
  The　baron　looked　at　him　with　a　wink　so　droll；　that　his　little　black　eyelashes　disappeared　amid　his　yellow　fat。
  〃No；〃　said　he；　〃it　is　not　I　who　am　clever。　It　is　Marie。〃
  〃Marie？〃
  〃Yes；　the　baroness。　Since　her　baptism　she　has　given　up　her　name　of　Yamina　for　that　of　Marie。　She　is　a　real　sort　of　woman。　She　knows　more　than　I　do　myself　about　banking　and　Paris　and　business。　It　is　she　who　manages　everything　at　home。〃
  〃You　are　very　fortunate；〃　sighed　Jansoulet。　His　air　of　gloom　told　a　long　story　of　qualities　missing　in　Mlle。　Afchin。　Then；　after　a　silence；　the　baron　resumed：
  〃She　has　a　great　grudge　against　you；　Marie；　you　know。　She　will　not　be　pleased　when　she　hears　that　we　have　been　talking　together。〃
  A　frown　passed　over　his　heavy　brow；　as　though　he　were　regretting　their　reconciliation；　at　the　thought　of　the　scene　which　he　would　have　with　his　wife。　Jansoulet　stammered：
  〃I　have　done　her　no　harm；　however。〃
  〃Come；　come；　neither　of　you　has　been　very　nice　to　her。　Think　of　the　affront　put　upon　her　when　we　called　after　our　marriage。　Your　wife　sending　word　to　us　that　she　was　not　in　the　habit　of　receiving　quondam　slaves。　As　though　our　friendship　ought　not　to　have　been　stronger　than　a　prejudice。　Women　don't　forget　things　of　that　kind。〃
  〃But　no　responsibility　lay　with　me　for　that；　old　friend。　You　know　how　proud　those　Afchins　are。〃
  He　was　not　proud　himself；　poor　man。　His　mien　was　so　woebegone；　so　supplicating　under　his　friend's　frown；　that　he　moved　him　to　pity。　Decidedly；　the　cemetery　had　softened　the　baron。
  〃Listen；　Bernard；　there　is　only　one　thing　that　counts。　If　you　want　us　to　be　friends；　as　formerly；　and　this　reconciliation　not　to　be　wasted；　you　will　have　to　get　my　wife　to　consent。　Without　her　nothing　can　be　done。　When　Mlle。　Afchin　shut　her　door　in　our　faces　you　let　her　have　her　way；　did　you　not？　In　the　same　way；　on　my　side；　if　Marie　said　to　me　when　I　go　home；　'I　will　not　let　you　be　friends；'　all　my　protestations　now　would　not　prevent　me　from　throwing　you　overboard。　For　there　is　no　such　thing　as　friendship　in　face　of　such　difficulties。　Peace　at　one's　fireside　is　better　than　everything　else。〃
  〃But　in　that　case；　what　is　to　be　done？〃　asked　the　Nabob；　frightened。
  〃I　am　going　to　tell　you。　The　baroness　is　at　home　every　Saturday。　Come　with　your　wife　and　pay　her　a　visit　the　day　after　to…morrow。　You　will　find　the　best　society　in　Paris　at　the　house。　The　past　shall　not　be　mentioned。　The　ladies　will　gossip　together　of　chiffons　and　frocks；　talk　of　the　things　women　do　talk　about。　And　then　the　whole　matter　will　be　settled。　We　shall　become　friends　as　we　used　to　be；　and　since　you　are　in　difficulties；　well；　we　will　find　some　way　of　getting　you　out　of　them。〃
  〃Do　you　think　so？　The　fact　is　I　am　in　terrible　straits；〃　said　the　other；　shaking　his　head。
  Hemerlingue's　cunning　eyes　disappeared　again　beneath　the　folds　of　his　cheeks　like　two　flies　in　butter。
  〃Well；　yes；　I　have　played　a　strong　game。　But　you　don't　lack　shrewdness；　all　the　same。　The　loan　of　the　fifteen　millions　to　the　Bey　it　was　a　good　stroke；　that。　Ah！　you　are　bold　enough；　only　you　hold　your　cards　badly。　One　can　see　your　game。〃
  Till　now　they　had　been　talking　in　low　tones；　impressed　by　the　silence　of　the　great　necropolis；　but　little　by　little　human　interests　asserted　themselves　in　a　louder　key　even　there　where　their　nothingness　lay　exposed　on　all　those　flat　stones　covered　with　dates　and　figures；　as　if　death　was　only　an　affair　of　time　and　calculationthe　desired　solution　of　a　problem。
  Hemerlingue　enjoyed　the　sight　of　his　friend　reduced　to　such　humility；　and　gave　him　advice　on　his　affairs；　with　which　he　seemed　to　be　fully　acquainted。　According　to　him　the　Nabob　could　still　get　out　of　his　difficulties　very　well。　Everything　depended　on　the　validation；　on　the　turning　up　of　a　card。　The　question　was　to　make　sure　that　it　should　be　a　good　one。　But　Jansoulet　had　no　more　confidence。　In　losing　Mora；　he　had　lost　everything。
  〃You　lose　Mora；　but　you　regain　me；　so　things　are　equalized；〃　said　the　banker　tranquilly。
  〃No；　do　you　see　it　is　impossible。　It　is　too　late。　Le　Merquier　has　completed　the　report。　It　is　a　dreadful　one；　I　believe。〃
  〃Well；　if　he　has　completed　his　report；　he　will　have　to　prepare　another。〃
  〃How　is　that　to　be　done？〃
  The　baron　looked　at　him　with　surprise。
  〃Ah；　you　are　losing　your　senses。　Why；　by　paying　him　a　hundred；　two　hundred；　three　hundred　thousand　francs；　if　necessary。
  〃How　can　you　think　of　such　a　thing？　Le　Merquier；　that　man　of　integrity！　'My　conscience；'　as　they　call　him。〃
  This　time　Hemerlingue's　laugh　burst　forth　with　an　extraordinary　heartiness；　and　must　have　reached　the　inmost　recesses　of　the　neighbouring　mausoleums；　little　accustomed　to　such　disrespect。
  〃　'My　conscience'　a　man　of　integrity！　Ah！　you　amuse　me。　You　don't　know；　then；　that　he　is　in　my　pay；　conscience　and　all；　and　that〃　He　paused；　and　looked　behind　him；　somewhat　startled　by　a　sound　which　he　had　heard。　〃Listen。〃
  It　was　the　echo　of　his　laughter　sent　back　to　them　from　the　depths　of　a　vault；　as　if　the　idea　of　Le　Merquier　having　a　conscience　moved　even　the　dead　to　mirth。
  〃Suppose　we　walk　a　little；〃　said　he；　〃it　begins　to　be　chilly　on　this　bench。〃
  Then；　as　they　walked　among　the　tombs；　he　went　on　to　explain　to　him　with　a　certain　pedantic　fatuity；　that　in　France　bribes　played　as　important　a　part　as　in　the　East。　Only　one　had　to　be　a　little　more　delicate　about　it　here。　You　veiled　your　bribes。　〃Thus；　take　this　Le　Merquier；　for　instance。　Instead　of　offering　him　your　money　openly；　in　a　big　purse；　as　you　would　to　a　local　pasha；　you　go　about　it　indirectly。　The　man　is　fond　of　pictures。　He　is　constantly　having　dealings　with　Schwalbach；　who　employs　him　as　a　decoy　for　his　Catholic　clients。　Well；　you　offer　him　some　picturea　souvenir　to　hang　on　a　panel　in　his　study。　The　whole　point　is　to　make　the　price　quite　clear。　But　you　will　see。　I　will　take　you　round　to　call　on　him　myself。　I　will　show　you　how　the　thing　is　worked。〃
  And　delighted　at　the　am