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He found the umbrella-man in full dress, and they were about to start, when Virginie, the cook, caught him by the arm: "Monsieur, madame does not wish you to go out " "Pshaw!" said Birotteau, "more women's notions!" " without your coffee, which is ready." "That's true. My neighbor," he said to Cayron, "I have so many things in my head that I can't think of my stomach.
At that price I will consent to the transfer of the two rooms by Monsieur Cayron, here present," he said, with a sly wink at the umbrella-man; "and I will give you a lease of them for seven consecutive years. The costs of piercing the wall are to belong to you; and you must procure the consent of Monsieur le comte de Grandville and the cession of all his rights in the matter.
Birotteau's neighbor was a small dealer in umbrellas, parasols, and canes, named Cayron, a man from Languedoc, doing a poor business, whom Cesar had several times befriended. Cayron wished nothing better than to confine himself to the ground-floor and let the rich perfumer take the floor above it, thus diminishing his rent.
"Monsieur," resumed Molineux with a glance at the umbrella-merchant, "part of a quarter has expired; Monsieur Cayron would not wish to pay it; we will add it to the rest, so that your lease may run from January to January. It will be more in order." "Very good," said Birotteau. "And the five per cent for the porter "
Have you forgotten what I have just told you about turning the staircase and hiring the first floor of the next house? which is all settled with the umbrella-maker, Cayron. He and I are going to-morrow to see his proprietor, Monsieur Molineux. To-morrow I have as much to do as a minister of state." "You turn my brain with your projects," said Constance. "I am all mixed up.
"You will have to come and see me," said Claparon; "that first scrap of paper you gave Cayron has come back to us protested; I endorsed it, so I've paid it. I shall send after you; business before everything." Birotteau felt stabbed to the heart by this cold and grinning kindness as much as by the harshness of Keller or the coarse German banter of Nucingen.
"Besides," resumed Cayron, "all I ask you to do is to cash these securities for me " And he held out sixteen notes amounting in all to five thousand francs. "Ah!" said the perfumer turning them over. "Small fry, two months, three months " "Take them as low as six per cent," said the umbrella-man humbly. "Am I a usurer?" asked the perfumer reproachfully. "What can I do, monsieur?
"My porter came to tell me just now that the sheriff has affixed the seals to the Sieur Cayron's appartement; he has disappeared." "I hope I'm not juggled out of five thousand francs," thought Birotteau. "Cayron always seemed to do a good business," said Lourdois, who just then came in to bring his bill.
At these words, taken from the "Constitutionnel," Birotteau could not keep from inviting little Molineux to the ball, who thanked him profusely and felt like forgiving the disdainful look. The old man conducted his new tenant as far as the landing, and overwhelmed him with politeness. When Birotteau reached the middle of the Cour Batave he gave Cayron a merry look.
Molineux received anonymous letters, no doubt from Gendrin, which threatened him with assassination some night in the passages about the Cour Batave. The little old man got up and fetched the pistols. "There they are!" he cried. "But, monsieur, you have nothing to fear from me," said Birotteau, looking at Cayron, and giving him a glance and a smile intended to express pity for such a man.
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