William.

And yet God knows what frauds they contained ! Sometimes I said to William:

' ' Really, you pinch too much ; some day you will get into trouble."

To which William replied, very calmly:

" Oh ! let me alone ; I know what I am about, and how far I can go. When one has masters as stupid as these are, it would be a crime not to take advantage of them."

But the poor fellow scarcely profited by these continual larcenies, which, in spite of the aston- ishing tips he had, continually went to fill the pockets of the bookmakers.

Monsieur and Madame had been married for five years. At first they went into society a great deal, and gave dinners. Then gradually they re- stricted their goings-out and their receptions, and lived almost alone, saying that they were jealous of each other. Madame reproached Monsieur with flirting with the women; Monsieur accused Madame of looking too much at the men. They loved each other much, — that is to say, they quarreled all day long, like a little bourgeois household. The truth is that Madame had not succeeded in society, and that her manners had cost her not a few in- sults. She was angry with Monsieur for not having been able to impose her upon society, and Mon- sieur was angry with Madame for having made