The next day brought no different result. On the fourth day, Balivan came running into Tortoni's just after his friends.
"I've seen him," he cried, "on Rue de Bondy, near Porte Saint-Martin. I recognized him perfectly, and I am certain he saw me, too, for he turned purple and looked the other way."
"Well! you ran after him——"
"What did he say to you?"
"Did you take him to Varinet's?"
"Has he redeemed his olive?"
"Mon Dieu! my friends, I don't know how it happened; but I noticed at that moment that my cigar was out, and I stepped into a tobacco shop close by to get a light; it took only a minute, but when I returned to the street I looked in every direction—all in vain; I couldn't find Tobie again!"
"The devil take you!"
"Oh! that's just like Balivan! He catches sight of the man we've been hunting for four days, and, instead of grabbing him, he goes into a shop to light his cigar!"
"You ought to take yourself for your model! you'll never find such another."