Then he shrugged in resignation, and trotted over to the guichet.

But here ensued inevitably the violent French altercation between the two human beings on either side of the guichet.

At last the weary waiting-time was over; the young subaltern stepped before the guichet and, pointing to a handbill, demanded in a loud and dignified voice a ticket for next Monday's performance of "KEINE VORSTELLUNG!"

On this October day, for example, there was no sign of surprise on the part of the buxom lady behind the guichet of the booking-office when I asked for a ticket to Béthune, although there had been heavy fighting in that district only a few hours before, at the end of a great battle extending over several days.

Amid these memories and agitations, he found himself presently at the Gare Saint-Lazare, taking his ticket at the guichet.

"Tiens! Guichet," said he, "is that meant for a compliment?" "Where did you see him?" asked the model, pointing down at the sketch.

Do you know him?" "Where did you see him, I say?" repeated Guichet, impatiently.

"Come, Guichet, out with it!

I shall weary you with theories, and wear out the patience of our friend Guichet, who is sufficiently tired already with waiting for a head that never comes to be cut off as it ought.

We were bound on an expedition of discovery, and the object of our journey was to find the habitat of Guichet the model.

This Guichet can help me, if he will.

It is Guichet himself.

We could see nothing at first but this gleam; and it was not till Guichet had raked out the wood ashes on the hearth, and blown them into a red glow with his breath, that we could distinguish the form or position of anything in the room.

Avoiding these latter, we set ourselves down upon the edge of the chest; while Guichet, having by this time lit a piece of candle-end in a tin sconce against the wall, stood before us with folded arms, and stared at us in silence.

"I want to know, Guichet, if you can give me some sittings," said Müller, by way of opening the conversation.

"You've posed for some queer characters in your time, Guichet," said he.

"Pshaw!" said he; "I know more than you think I know, Guichet.

Guichet was silent.

" "Yes, that's true," replied Guichet, ponderingly.

Guichet, mon cher, I am your debtor for life.

Guichet," said Müller.

He just turned a shade paler under the tan, and that was all." "Do you remember what his crime was?" asked Müller Guichet shook his head.

Now Monsieur Müller had seen Lenoir, but not Bras de Fer; and Guichet had seen Bras de Fer, but not Lenoir.

If, however, the said Guichet can be persuaded by no considerations either of interest or justice, then another very simple course remains open.

Armed with this information, and knowing that any attempt to induce Guichet to move further in the matter would be useless, we then went back to the Bureau, and with much difficulty succeeded in persuading M. le Chef to send to Toulon for the photograph.