her father, with a stupefied air.

"Yes," said the lapidary.

"Stop!" rejoined the catchpole; "the bill is for thirteen hundred
francs. Well, the bill is paid; but the expenses? Without the
execution, they are already eleven hundred and forty francs."
[Footnote: We append some curious facts about imprisonment for debt,
taken from "_Le Pauvre Jacques_," a paper published by the
Society of Christian Morality Prison Committee:--

"A protest and a warrant is legally set down as at 4 francs 35
centimes for the first, and 4 francs 70 centimes for the other, but is
generally increased by the warrant-officers to 10fr. 40c., and 16fr.
40c. respectively. Thus 26fr. 80c. illegally obtained for what should
have been but 9fr. 50c. The law sets down bailiff fees thus:--Stamp
and registry, 3fr. 50c.; hackney-coach, 5fr.; arresting and
imprisonment, 60fr. 25c.; turnkey's fee, 8fr. Total 76fr. 75c. One
bill of charges taken as the average of those sent in by sheriffs'
officers, swells the above to 240 francs!"

In the same paper is this paragraph:--

"M---, bailiff, has written to desire correction of the article on the
Hanged Woman. He did not kill her, he says. We did not say that he did
_kill_ that unfortunate woman. We reprint that article:--

"M---, bailiff, having writ out for a cabinet-maker in the Rue de la
Lune, was seen by the latter from the house windows. He called out to
his wife.--'I am lost, for there they come to arrest me!' His wife