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The　other　shrugged　his　shoulders。　〃If　you　are　not　more　careful；　you
will　spoil　your　future。　M。　Walter　counted　on　your　copy。　I　will　tell
him　it　will　be　ready　to…morrow。　If　you　think　you　will　be　paid　for
doing　nothing；　you　are　mistaken。〃　After　a　pause；　he　added：　〃You
should　strike　while　the　iron　is　hot。〃

Saint…Potin　rose：　〃I　am　ready；〃　said　he。

Forestier　turned　around　in　his　chair　and　said；　to　Duroy：　〃Listen。
The　Chinese　general　Li…Theng…Fao；　stopping　at　the　Continental；　and
Rajah　Taposahib　Ramaderao　Pali；　stopping　at　Hotel　Bishop；　have　been
in　Paris　two　days。　You　must　interview　them。〃　Addressing　Saint…Potin；
he　said：　〃Do　not　forget　the　principal　points　I　indicated　to　you。　Ask
the　general　and　the　rajah　their　opinions　on　the　dealings　of　England
in　the　extreme　East；　their　ideas　of　their　system　of　colonization　and
government；　their　hopes　relative　to　the　intervention　of　Europe　and
of　France　in　particular。〃　To　Duroy　he　said：　〃Observe　what　Saint…
Potin　says；　he　is　an　excellent　reporter；　and　try　to　learn　how　to
draw　out　a　man　in　five　minutes。〃　Then　he　resumed　his　work。

The　two　men　walked　down　the　boulevard　together；　while　Saint…Potin
gave　Duroy　a　sketch　of　all　the　officials　connected　with　the　paper；
sparing　no　one　in　his　criticism。　When　he　mentioned　Forestier；　he
said：　〃As　for　him；　he　was　fortunate　in　marrying　his　wife。〃

Duroy　asked：　〃What　about　his　wife？〃

Saint…Potin　rubbed　his　hands。　〃Oh；　she　is　beloved　by　an　old　fellow
named　Vaudreche　dotes　upon　her。〃

Duroy　felt　as　if　he　would　like　to　box　Saint…Potin's　ears。　To　change
the　subject　he　said：　〃It　seems　to　me　that　it　is　late；　and　we　have
two　noble　lords　to　call　upon！〃

Saint…Potin　laughed：　〃You　are　very　innocent！　Do　you　think　that　I　am
going　to　interview　that　Chinese　and　that　Indian？　As　if　I　did　not
know　better　than　they　do　what　they　should　think　to　please　the
readers　of　'La　Vie　Francaise'！　I　have　interviewed　five　hundred
Chinese；　Prussians；　Hindoos；　Chilians；　and　Japanese。　They　all　say
the　same　thing。　I　need　only　copy　my　article　on　the　last　comer；　word
for　word；　changing　the　heading；　names；　titles；　and　ages：　in　that
there　must　be　no　error；　or　I　shall　be　hauled　over　the　coals　by　the
'Figaro'　or　'Gaulois。'　But　on　that　subject　the　porter　of　the　hotels
will　post　me　in　five　minutes。　We　will　smoke　our　cigars　and　stroll　in
that　direction。　Totalone　hundred　sous　for　cabfare。　That　is　the
way；　my　dear　fellow。〃

When　they　arrived　at　the　Madeleine；　Saint…Potin　said　to　his
companion：　〃If　you　have　anything　to　do；　I　do　not　need　you。〃

Duroy　shook　hands　with　him　and　walked　away。　The　thought　of　the
article　he　had　to　write　that　evening　haunted　him。　Mentally　he
collected　the　material　as　he　wended　his　way　to　the　cafe　at　which　he
dined。　Then　he　returned　home　and　seated　himself　at　his　table　to
work。　Before　his　eyes　was　the　sheet　of　blank　paper；　but　all　the
material　he　had　amassed　had　escaped　him。　After　trying　for　an　hour；
and　after　filling　five　pages　with　sentences　which　had　no　connection
one　with　the　other；　he　said：　〃I　am　not　yet　familiar　with　the　work。　I
must　take　another　lesson。〃

At　ten　o'clock　the　following　morning　he　rang　the　bell；　at　his
friend's　house。　The　servant　who　opened　the　door；　said：　〃Monsieur　is
busy。〃

Duroy　had　not　expected　to　find　Forestier　at　home。　However　he　said：
〃Tell　him　it　is　M。　Duroy　on　important　business。〃

In　the　course　of　five　minutes　he　was　ushered　into　the　room　in　which
he　had　spent　so　happy　a　morning。　In　the　place　Mme。　Forestier　had
occupied；　her　husband　was　seated　writing；　while　Mme。　Forestier　stood
by　the　mantelpiece　and　dictated　to　him；　a　cigarette　between　her
lips。

Duroy　paused　upon　the　threshold　and　murmured：　〃I　beg　your　pardon；　I
am　interrupting　you。〃

His　friend　growled　angrily：　〃What　do　you　want　again？　Make　haste；　we
are　busy。〃

Georges　stammered：　〃It　is　nothing。〃

But　Forestier　persisted：　〃Come；　we　are　losing　time；　you　did　not
force　your　way　into　the　house　for　the　pleasure　of　bidding　us　good
morning。〃

Duroy；　in　confusion；　replied：　〃No；　it　is　this：　I　cannot　complete　my
article；　and　you　weresoso　kind　the　last　time　that　I　hopedthat
I　dared　to　come〃

Forestier　interrupted　with：　〃So　you　think　I　will　do　your　work　and
that　you　have　only　to　take　the　money。　Well；　that　is　fine！〃　His　wife
smoked　on　without　interfering。

Duroy　hesitated：　〃Excuse　me。　I　believedIthought〃　Then；　in　a
clear　voice；　he　said：　〃I　beg　a　thousand　pardons；　Madame；　and　thank
you　very　much　for　the　charming　article　you　wrote　for　me　yesterday。〃
Then　he　bowed；　and　said　to　Charles：　〃I　will　be　at　the　office　at
three　o'clock。〃

He　returned　home　saying　to　himself：　〃Very　well；　I　will　write　it
alone　and　they　shall　see。〃　Scarcely　had　he　entered　than　he　began　to
write；　anger　spurring　him　on。　In　an　hour　he　had　finished　an　article；
which　was　a　chaos　of　absurd　matter；　and　took　it　boldly　to　the
office。　Duroy　handed　Forestier　his　manuscript。　〃Here　is　the　rest　of
Algeria。〃

〃Very　well；　I　will　hand　it　to　the　manager。　That　will　do。〃

When　Duroy　and　Saint…Potin；　who　had　some　political　information　to
look　up；　were　in　the　hall；　the　latter　asked：　〃Have　you　been　to　the
cashier's　room？〃

〃No；　why？〃

〃Why？　To　get　your　pay？　You　should　always　get　your　salary　a　month　in
advance。　One　cannot　tell　what　might　happen。　I　will　introduce　you　to
the　cashier。〃

Duroy　drew　his　two　hundred　francs　together　with　twenty…eight　francs
for　his　article　of　the　preceding　day；　which；　in　addition　to　what
remained　to　him　of　his　salary　from　the　railroad　office；　left　him
three　hundred　and　forty　francs。　He　had　never　had　so　much；　and　he
thought　himself　rich　for　an　indefinite　time。　Saint…Potin　took　him　to
the　offices　of　four　or　five　rival　papers；　hoping　that　the　news　he
had　been　commissioned　to　obtain　had　been　already　received　by　them
and　that　he　could　obtain　it　by　means　of　his　diplomacy。

When　evening　came；　Duroy；　who　had　nothing　more　to　do；　turned　toward
the　Folies…Bergeres；　and　walking　up　to　the　office；　he　said：　〃My　name
is　Georges　Duroy。　I　am　on　the　staff　of　'La　Vie　Francaise。'　I　was
here　the　other　night　with　M。　Forestier；　who　promised　to　get　me　a
pass。　I　do　not　know　if　he　remembered　it。〃

The　register　was　consulted；　but　his　name　was　not　inscribed　upon　it。
However；　the　cashier；　a　very　affable　man；　said　to　him：　〃Come　in；　M。
Duroy；　and　speak　to　the　manager　yourself；　he　will　see　that
everything　is　all　right。〃

He　entered　and　almost　at　once　came　upon　Rachel；　the　woman　he　had
seen　there　before。　She　approached　him：　〃Good　evening；　my　dear；　are
you　well？〃

〃Very　well；　how　are　you？〃

〃I　am　not　ill。　I　have　dreamed　of　you　twice　since　the　other　night。〃

Duroy　smiled。　〃What　does　that　mean？〃

〃That　means　that　I　like　you〃；　she　raised　her　eyes　to　the　young　man's
face；　took　his　arm　and　leaning　upon　it；　said：　〃Let　us　drink　a　glass
of　wine　and　then　take　a　walk。　I　should　like　to　go　to　the　opera　like
this；　with　you；　to　show　you　off。〃

　　　　　　*　　　　　　　*　　　　　　　*　　　　　　　*　　　　　　　*　　　　　　　*　　　　　　　*

At　daybreak　he　again　sallied　forth　to　obtain　a　〃Vie　Francaise。〃　He
opened　the　paper　feverishly；　his　article　was　not　there。　On　entering
the　office　several　hours　later；　he　said　to　M。　Walter：　〃I　was　very
much　surprised　this　morning　not　to　see　my　second　article　on
Algeria。〃

The　manager　raised　his　head　and　said　sharply：　〃I　gave　it　to　your
friend；　Forestier；　and　asked　him　to　read　it；　he　was　dissatisfied
with　it；　it　will　have　to　be　done　over。〃

Without　a　word；　Duroy　left　the　room；　and　entering　his　friend's
office；　brusquely　asked：　〃Why　did　not　my　article　appear　this
morning？〃

The　journalist；　who　was　smoking　a　cigar；　said　calmly：　〃The　manager
did　not　consider　it　good；　and　bade　me　return　it　to　you　to　be
revised。　There　it　is。〃　Duroy　revised　it　several　times；　only　to　have
it　rejected。　He　said　nothing　more　of　his　〃souvenirs；〃　but　gave　his
whole　attention　to　reporting。　He　became　acquainted　behind　the　scenes
at　the　theaters；　and　in　the　halls　and　corridors　of　the　chamber　of
deputies；　he　knew　all　the　cabinet　ministers；　generals；　police
agents；　princes；　ambassadors；　men　of　the　world；　Greeks；　cabmen；
waiters　at　cafes；　and　many　others。　In　short　he　soon　became　a
remarkable　reporter；　of　great　value　to　the　paper；　so　M。　Walter　said。
But　as　he　only　received　ten　centimes　a　line　in　addition　to　his　fixed
salary　of　two　hundred　francs　and　as　his　expenses　were　large；　he
never　had　a　sou。　When　he　saw　certain　of　his　associates　with　their
pockets　full　of　money；　he　wondered　what　secret　means　they　employed
in　order　to　obtain　it。　He　determined　to　penetrate　that　mystery；　to
enter　into　the　association；　to　obtrude　himself　upon　his　comrades；
and　make　them　share　with　him。　Often　at　evening；　as　he　watched　the
trains　pass　his　window；　he　dreamed　of　the　conduct　he　might　pursue。




CHAPTER　V。

THE　FIRST　INTRIGUE


Two　months　elapsed。　It　was　September。　The　fortune　which　Duroy　had
hoped　to　make　so　rapidly　seemed　to　him　slow　in　coming。　Above　all　he
was　dissatisfied　with　the　mediocrity　of　his　position；　he　was
appreciated；　but　was　treated　according　to　his　rank。　Forestier
himself　no　longer　invited　him　to　dinner；　and　treated　him　as　an
inferior。　Often　he　had　thought　of　making　Mme。　Forestier　a　visit；　but
the　remembrance　of　their　last　meeting　restrained　hi