“We’ll amaze you a good deal more, my dear cousin,” said Leon de Lora. “We’ll take Paris as an artist takes his violoncello, and show you how it is played,—in short, how people amuse themselves in Paris.”
“It is a kaleidoscope with a circumference of twenty miles,” cried Gazonal.
“Before piloting monsieur about, I have to see Gaillard,” said Bixiou.
“But we can use Gaillard for the cousin,” replied Leon.
“What sort of machine is that?” asked Gazonal.
“He isn’t a machine, he is a machinist. Gaillard is a friend of ours who has ended a miscellaneous career by becoming the editor of a newspaper, and whose character and finances are governed by movements comparable to those of the tides. Gaillard can contribute to make you win your lawsuit—”
“It is lost.”
“That’s the very moment to win it,” replied Bixiou.
When they reached Theodore Gaillard’s abode, which was now in the rue de Menars, the valet ushered the three friends into a boudoir and asked them to wait, as monsieur was in secret conference.
“With whom?” asked Bixiou.