Sebastien, who was kept up till after midnight at Madame Rabourdin's party, was, in spite of his desire to get to the office early, preceded by the spirit of hatred.

Hatred lived in the rue Saint-Louis-Saint-Honore, whereas love and devotion lived far-off in the rue du Roi-Dore in the Marais.
This slight delay was destined to affect Rabourdin's whole career.
Sebastien opened his box eagerly, found the memorandum and his own unfinished copy all in order, and locked them at once into the desk as Rabourdin had directed.

The mornings are dark in these offices towards the end of December, sometimes indeed the lamps are lit till after ten o'clock; consequently Sebastien did not happen to notice the pressure of the copying-machine upon the paper.

But when, about half-past nine o'clock, Rabourdin looked at his memorandum he saw at once the effects of the copying process, and all the more readily because he was then considering whether these autographic presses could not be made to do the work of copying clerks.
"Did any one get to the office before you ?" he asked.
"Yes," replied Sebastien,--"Monsieur Dutocq." "Ah! well, he was punctual.

Send Antoine to me." Too noble to distress Sebastien uselessly by blaming him for a misfortune now beyond remedy, Rabourdin said no more.