One moment they are in close talk, their heads together chuckotting; the next he has turned up some bye-street, and Mademoiselle Cannes is close upon me--has almost caught me.' "'But she did not see you ?' inquired Monsieur Morin, in so altered a voice that Pierre gave him one of his quick penetrating looks.

He was struck by the way in which his cousin's features--always coarse and common-place--had become contracted and pinched; struck, too, by the livid look on his sallow complexion.

But as if Morin was conscious of the manner in which his face belied his feelings, he made an effort, and smiled, and patted Pierre's head, and thanked him for his intelligence, and gave him a five-franc piece, and bade him go on with his observations of Mademoiselle Cannes' movements, and report all to him.
"Pierre returned home with a light heart, tossing up his five-franc piece as he ran.

Just as he was at the conciergerie door, a great tall man bustled past him, and snatched his money away from him, looking back with a laugh, which added insult to injury.

Pierre had no redress; no one had witnessed the impudent theft, and if they had, no one to be seen in the street was strong enough to give him redress.