It was in the Grand Hotel that Messrs. Hugenot and Plade met by chance
the evening succeeding the dinner.
"I shall leave Paris, Andy," said Hugenot, regarding his pumps through
his eye-glass. "My ancestry would blush in their coffins if they knew
ou-ah cause to be represented by such individuals as those of last
evening."
"Let us go together," replied Plade, in his plausible way; "you cannot
speak a word of any continental language. Take me along as courier and
companion; pay my travelling expenses, and I will pay my own board."
"Can I trust you, Suth Kurlinian?" said Hugenot, irresolutely; "you had
no money yesterday."
"But I have a plan of raising a thousand francs to-day. What say you?"
"My family have been wont to see the evidence prior to committing
themselves. First show me the specie."
"_Voila!_" cried Plade, counting out forty louis; "the day after
to-morrow I guarantee to own eighteen hundred francs."
It did not occur to Mr. Hugenot to inquire how his friend came to
possess so much money; for Hugenot was not a clever man, and somewhat in
dread of Andy Plade, who, as his school-mate, had thrashed him
repeatedly, and even now that one had grown rich and the other was a
vagabond, the latter's strong will and keen, bad intelligence made him
the master man.
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