You are not fertile in relations either, nor well supplied with
the ready? Listen, I have a hand-cart downstairs which I have hired for
two sous an hour; it will hold all our goods; if you like, we will try
to find lodgings together, since we are both turned out of this. It is
not the earthly paradise, when all is said and done.'
"'I know that, my good Bourgeat,' said I. 'But I am in a great fix. I
have a trunk downstairs with a hundred francs' worth of linen in it, out
of which I could pay the landlord and all I owe to the porter, and I
have not a hundred sous.'
"'Pooh! I have a few dibs,' replied Bourgeat joyfully, and he pulled
out a greasy old leather purse. 'Keep your linen.'
"Bourgeat paid up my arrears and his own, and settled with the porter.
Then he put our furniture and my box of linen in his cart, and pulled it
along the street, stopping in front of every house where there was a
notice board. I went up to see whether the rooms to let would suit us.
At midday we were still wandering about the neighborhood without having
found anything. The price was the great difficulty. Bourgeat proposed
that we should eat at a wine shop, leaving the cart at the door. Towards
evening I discovered, in the Cour de Rohan, Passage du Commerce, at the
very top of a house next the roof, two rooms with a staircase between
them.
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