"In a quarter of an hour they will be here," said the commissioner, quickly. "Inform the marquis, if you please."
"The cabinet-maker, Lamber, you mean," whispered the clerk. "He is not as far away as you; he lives directly opposite, and he has been standing all day at the house-door waiting for the sign."
"Then give it to him, dear baron," said the commissioner; and as the boy came in just then with the water, he hastily seized the glass, and took a swallow so immense as to perfectly satisfy the boy, who was looking at him.
The clerk had, in the mean time, gone to the shop-door, and looking across at the opposite house, he drew a blue handkerchief, with a red border, from his pocket, and slowly raised it to his face.
The man in the blouse, standing at the door of the low house across the street, nodded slightly, and stepped back out of sight.
"Well," cried the commissioner, "now that I have taken breath, and have had a good drink, I will tell you why I have run so. I have directed a citizen to you who wants to buy some playthings, and something very fine, I suppose, as he brings a commissioner along with him to carry the things home. Now I want to know what per cent, of the profit you get from him you are willing to give me, for you cannot expect, citizen, that I should give my recommendation gratis."
"I am not the owner of the store," replied the clerk, with a shrug. "I have been here only a week, and manage the business merely while the owner is absent for a short time on a necessary journey. So I can give no fees. But ask the boy whether in such cases Mr. Duval has paid money. He has been here longer than I."
"Mr. Duval has paid every commissioner, who has brought him such news, two centums on the franc," said the boy, with an important air.
"Well, then, I will give you two centums on the franc, provided that the citizen buys more than a franc's worth."
"Aha! there comes the man," cried the commissioner, pointing at
Simon, who just then entered the store with Toulan. "Well, citizen,
now make a very handsome purchase, for the more you buy, the better
I shall like it."