through the boxes one after another until he finally came upon the
fatal list. He carried it in hot haste to an autograph-printing house,
where he obtained two pressed copies of the memorandum, showing, of
course, Rabourdin's own writing. Anxious not to arouse suspicion, he
had gone very early to the office and replaced both the memorandum and
Sebastien's copy in the box from which he had taken them. Sebastien,
who was kept up till after midnight at Madame Rabourdin's party, was,
in spite of his desire to get to the office early, preceded by the
spirit of hatred. Hatred lived in the rue Saint-Louis-Saint-Honore,
whereas love and devotion lived far-off in the rue du Roi-Dore in the
Marais. This slight delay was destined to affect Rabourdin's whole
career.

Sebastien opened his box eagerly, found the memorandum and his own
unfinished copy all in order, and locked them at once into the desk as
Rabourdin had directed. The mornings are dark in these offices towards
the end of December, sometimes indeed the lamps are lit till after ten
o'clock; consequently Sebastien did not happen to notice the pressure
of the copying-machine upon the paper. But when, about half-past nine
o'clock, Rabourdin looked at his memorandum he saw at once the effects
of the copying process, and all the more readily because he was then
considering whether these autographic presses could not be made to do
the work of copying clerks.

"Did any one get to the office before you?" he asked.

"Yes," replied Sebastien,--"Monsieur Dutocq."

"Ah! well, he was punctual. Send Antoine to me."