AndinobediencetoValerie’sinstructions，heledtheBaronawaytowardsthequay，downtheRueHillerin-Bertin。TheunhappyBaronwalkedon，asamerchantwalksonthedaybeforehestopspayment；hewaslostinconjecturesastothereasonsofthedepravityburiedinthedepthsofValerie’sheart，andstillbelievedhimselfthevictimofsomepracticaljoke。AstheycrossedthePontRoyal，lifeseemedtohimsoblank，soutterlyavoid，andsooutofjointfromhisfinancialdifficulties，thathewaswithinanaceofyieldingtotheevilpromptingthatbidhimflingCrevelintotheriverandthrowhimselfinafter。
OnreachingtheRueduDauphin，whichhadnotyetbeenwidened，Crevelstoppedbeforeadoorinawall。Itopenedintoalongcorridorpavedwithblack-and-whitemarble，andservingasanentrance-hall，attheendofwhichtherewasaflightofstairsandadoorkeeper’slodge，lightedfromaninnercourtyard，asisoftenthecaseinParis。Thiscourtyard，whichwassharedwithanotherhouse，wasoddlydividedintotwounequalportions。Crevel’slittlehouse，forheownedit，hadadditionalroomswithaglassskylight，builtoutontotheadjoiningplot，underconditionsthatitshouldhavenostoryaddedabovethegroundfloor，sothatthestructurewasentirelyhiddenbythelodgeandtheprojectingmassofthestaircase。
Thisbackbuildinghadlongservedasastore-room，backshop，andkitchentooneoftheshopsfacingthestreet。Crevelhadcutoffthesethreeroomsfromtherestofthegroundfloor，andGrindothadtransformedthemintoaninexpensiveprivateresidence。Thereweretwowaysin——fromthefront，throughtheshopofafurniture-dealer，towhomCrevelletitatalowprice，andonlyfrommonthtomonth，soastobeabletogetridofhimincaseofhistellingtales，andalsothroughadoorinthewallofthepassage，soingeniouslyhiddenastobealmostinvisible。Thelittleapartment，comprisingadining-room，drawing-room，andbedroom，alllightedfromabove，andstandingpartlyonCrevel’sgroundandpartlyonhisneighbor’s，wasverydifficulttofind。Withtheexceptionofthesecond-handfurniture-dealer，thetenantsknewnothingoftheexistenceofthislittleparadise。
Thedoorkeeper，paidtokeepCrevel’ssecrets，wasacapitalcook。SoMonsieurleMairecouldgoinandoutofhisinexpensiveretreatatanyhourofthenightwithoutanyfearofbeingspiedupon。Byday，alady，dressedasPariswomendresstogoshopping，andhavingakey，rannoriskincomingtoCrevel’slodgings；shewouldstoptolookatthecheapenedgoods，asktheprice，gointotheshop，andcomeoutagain，withoutexcitingthesmallestsuspicionifanyoneshouldhappentomeether。
AssoonasCrevelhadlightedthecandlesinthesitting-room，theBaronwassurprisedattheeleganceandrefinementitdisplayed。Theperfumerhadgiventhearchitectafreehand，andGrindothaddonehimselfcreditbyfittingsinthePompadourstyle，whichhadinfactcostsixtythousandfrancs。”WhatIwant，”saidCreveltoGrindot，”isthataduchess，ifI