The kind-hearted creature went to sleep after charging her maid to carry the little note to Desroches' office before seven o'clock in the morning.

Godeschal, on his side, getting up at six and finding that Oscar had not returned, guessed what had happened.

He took the five hundred francs from his own little hoard and rushed to the Palais, where he obtained a copy of the judgment and returned in time to lay it before Desroches by eight o'clock.
Meantime Desroches, who always rose at four, was in his office by seven.
Mariette's maid, not finding the brother of her mistress in his bedroom, came down to the office and there met Desroches, to whom she very naturally offered the note.
"Is it about business ?" he said; "I am Monsieur Desroches." "You can see, monsieur," replied the maid.
Desroches opened the letter and read it.

Finding the five-hundred-franc note, he went into his private office furiously angry with his second clerk.

About half-past seven he heard Godeschal dictating to the second head-clerk a copy of the document in question, and a few moments later the good fellow entered his master's office with an air of triumph in his heart.
"Did Oscar Husson fetch the paper this morning from Simon ?" inquired Desroches.
"Yes, monsieur." "Who gave him the money ?" "Why, you did, Saturday," replied Godeschal.
"Then it rains five-hundred-franc notes," cried Desroches.