met was the terrible Saint-Fardier. The telegraph had already warned the establishment of his flight.
"Ah! Here you are, good-for-nothing?" cried Saint-Fardier, making a face as though he would have liked to cut off Laurent's ears.
"I beg you, monsieur, tell me how my Cousin Regina is."
"Madame Béjard is much better since she no longer has occasion to have anything to do with a rascal like you!"
Madame Béjard! Laurent heard nothing but these two words and stood dully, so dully that when Saint-Fardier took him by his collar he did not even think to defend himself. Dobouziez interfered at that moment.
"Let him go," he said to his partner. "I'll finish with this blackguard!" And to Laurent: "You, come with me to my office!"
The young man obeyed mechanically.
"Here are a hundred francs," Dobouziez said to him. "On the first of each month you will be sent that amount. That sum represents the income from the modest capital left by your father. And now, get out. Oh! One word of advice. You can never count upon any member of my family. All our doors are closed to you! That indefensible prank of yours has placed you without the pale of your relatives. Good-by. I am not detaining you!"
"Cousin Gina has become Madame Béjard, hasn't she?" Laurent hazarded, hardly having heard the major excommunication fulminated against him.
"Mme. Béjard is no longer your cousin. Come, take your money. And see that I never hear you spoken of!"
