Mme. Favoral spoke from experience. She had learned, to her cost,that the whistle of her husband, more surely than the shriek of thestormy petrel, announces the storm. - And she had that evening morereasons than usual to fear. Breaking from all his habits, M. Favoralhad not come home to dinner, and had sent one of the clerks of theMutual Credit Society to say that they should not wait for him.

Soon his latch-key grated in the lock; the door swung open; he camein; and, seeing his son:

"Well, I am glad to find you here," he exclaimed with a giggle, whichwith him was the utmost expression of anger.

Mme. Favoral shuddered. Still under the impression of the scenewhich had just taken place, his heart heavy, and his eyes full oftears, Maxence did not answer.

"It is doubtless a wager," resumed the father, "and you wish to knowhow far my patience may go.

"I do not understand you," stammered the young man.

"The money that you used to get, I know not where, doubtless failsyou now, or at least is no longer sufficient, and you go on makingdebts right and left - at the tailor's, the shirt maker's, thejeweler's. Of course, it's simple enough. We earn nothing; butwe wish to dress in the latest style, to wear a gold chain acrossour vest, and then we make dupes.""I have never made any dupes, father.""Bah! And what, then, do you call all these people who came thisvery day to present me their bills? For they did dare to come tomy office! They had agreed to come together, expecting thus tointimidate me more easily. I told them that you were of age, andthat your business was none of mine. Hearing this, they becameinsolent, and commenced speaking so loud, that their voices couldbe heard in the adjoining rooms. At that very moment, the manager,M. de Thaller, happened to be passing through the hall. Hearingthe noise of a discussion, he thought that I was having somedifficulty with some of our stockholders, and he came in, as hehad a right to. Then I was compelled to confess everything."He became excited at the sound of his words, like a horse at thejingle of his bells. And, more and more beside himself:

"That is just what your creditors wished," he pursued. "Theythought I would be afraid of a row, and that I would 'come down.'

It is a system of blackmailing, like any other. An account isopened to some young rascal; and, when the amount is reasonablylarge, they take it to the family, saying, 'Money, or I make row.'

Do you think it is to you, who are penniless, that they give credit?

It's on my pocket that they were drawing, - on my pocket, becausethey believed me rich. They sold you at exorbitant prices everything they wished; and they relied on me to pay for trousers atninety francs, shirts at forty francs, and watches at six hundredfrancs."Contrary to his habit, Maxence did not offer any denial.

"I expect to pay all I owe," he said.

"You!""I give my word I will!""And with what, pray?""With my salary.""You have a salary, then?"Maxence blushed.

"I have what I earn at my employer's.""What employer?""The architect in whose office M. Chapelain helped me to find aplace."With a threatening gesture, M. Favoral interrupted him.

"Spare me your lies," he uttered. "I am better posted than yousuppose. I know, that, over a month ago, your employer, tired ofyour idleness, dismissed you in disgrace."Disgrace was superfluous. The fact was, that Maxence, returningto work after an absence of five days, had found another in hisplace.

"I shall find another place," he said.

M. Favoral shrugged his shoulders with a movement of rage.

"And in the mean time," he said, "I shall have to pay. Do you knowwhat your creditors threaten to do? - to commence a suit against me.

They would lose it, of course, they know it; but they hope that Iwould yield before a scandal. And this is not all: they talk ofentering a criminal complaint. They pretend that you haveaudaciously swindled them; that the articles you purchased of themwere not at all for your own use, but that you sold them as fast asyou got them, at any price you could obtain, to raise ready money.

The jeweler has proofs, he says, that you went straight from hisshop to the pawnbroker's, and pledged a watch and chain which hehad just sold you. It is a police m............