So I waited for help from Ernst Castel, one of my old Konigsberg
friends, a well-to-do young merchant, who a short time before had
called on us in Meudon and treated us to a luxurious repast in
Paris, promising at the same time to relieve our necessities as
soon as possible by an advance, which we knew was an easy matter
to him.

By way of cheering us up, Kietz came over to us one day, with a
large portfolio and a pillow under his arm; he intended to amuse
us by working at a large caricature representing myself and my
unfortunate adventures in Paris, and the pillow was to enable
him, after his labours, to get some rest on our hard couch, which
he had noticed had no pillows at the head. Knowing that we had a
difficulty in procuring fuel, he brought with him some bottles of
rum, to 'warm' us with punch during the cold evenings; under
these circumstances I read Hoffmann's Tales to him and my wife.

At last I had news from Konigsberg, but it only opened my eyes to
the fact that the gay young dog had not meant his promise
seriously. We now looked forward almost with despair to the
chilly mists of approaching winter, but Kietz, declaring that it
was his place to find help, packed up his portfolio, placed it
under his arm with the pillow, and went off to Paris. On the next
day he returned with two hundred francs, that he had managed to
procure by means of generous self-sacrifice. We at once set off
for Paris, and took a small apartment near our friends, in the
back part of No. 14 Rue Jacob. I afterwards heard that shortly
after we left it was occupied by Proudhon.