This was far more than he was
empowered to give; however, after some further conversation, when Madame
Bourdieu learnt that it was a question of four months' board, she became
more accommodating, and agreed to accept a round sum of six hundred
francs for the entire period, provided that the person for whom Mathieu
was acting would consent to occupy a three-bedded room with two other
boarders.
Altogether there were about a dozen boarders' rooms in the house, some of
these having three, and even four, beds; while others, the terms for
which were naturally higher, contained but one. Madame Bourdieu could
accommodate as many as thirty boarders, and as a rule, she had some
five-and-twenty staying on her premises. Provided they complied with the
regulations, no questions were asked them. They were not required to say
who they were or whence they came, and in most cases they were merely
known by some Christian name which they chose to give.
Mathieu ended by agreeing to Madame Bourdieu's terms, and that same
evening Norine was taken to her establishment. Some little trouble ensued
with Beauchene, who protested when he learnt that five hundred francs
would not suffice to defray the expenses.
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