In five weeks he doubled his capital; but he had to make many compromises.

His kindness consisted in accepting, from time to time, eleven francs and fifty centimes; sometimes the whole interest was still owing.

When he gave fifty francs for sixty to a fruit-stall man, or a hundred francs for one hundred and twenty to a seller of peat-fuel, he ran great risks.
On reaching the rue des Poules through the rue des Postes, Theodose and Dutocq saw a great assemblage of men and women, and by the light which the wine-merchant's little oil-lamps cast upon these groups, they were horrified at beholding that mass of red, seamed, haggard faces; solemn with suffering, withered, distorted, swollen with wine, pallid from liquor; some threatening, others resigned, some sarcastic or jeering, others besotted; all rising from the midst of those terrible rags, which no designer can surpass in his most extravagant caricatures.
"I shall be recognized," said Theodose, pulling Dutocq away; "we have done a foolish thing to come here at this hour and take him in the midst of his business." "All the more that Claparon may be sleeping in his lair, the interior of which we know nothing about.

Yes, there are dangers for you, but none for me; I shall be thought to have business with my copying-clerk, and I'll go and tell him to come and dine with us; this is court day, so we can't have him to breakfast.

I'll tell him to meet us at the 'Chaumiere' in one of the garden dining-rooms." "Bad; anybody could listen to us there without being seen," said la Peyrade.