I have told you that often enough." "If the old rascal suspected anything," thought Toto, "he would not talk in this way." Wretched Toto! he did not know that when his spirits were rising the danger was terribly near, for Tantaine was just then saying to himself,-- "Ah! this lad is much too clever--too clever by half.

If I were going on with the business, and could make it worth his while, how useful he would be to me! but just now it would be most imprudent to allow him to wander about and jabber when he gets drunk." Meanwhile Toto had called a waiter, and, flinging a ten-franc piece on the table, said haughtily: "Take your bill out of that." But Tantaine pushed the money back toward the lad, and, drawing another ten-franc piece from his pocket, gave it to the waiter.
This unexpected act of generosity put the lad in the best possible humor.

"All the better for me," exclaimed he; "and now let us hunt up Caroline Schimmel." "Is she here?
I could not find her." "Because you did not know where to look for her.

She is at cards in the coffee-room.

Come along, sir." But Tantaine laid his hand upon the boy's arm.
"One moment," said he.