are essential attributes of the subject--"

"I'll be satisfied then if you pay me with promises," replied Simoun
jestingly. "You, Padre Sibyla, instead of paying me five something
or other in money, will say, for example: for five days I renounce
poverty, humility, and obedience. You, Padre Irene: I renounce
chastity, liberality, and so on. Those are small matters, and I'm
putting up my diamonds."

"What a peculiar man this Simoun is, what notions he has!" exclaimed
Padre Irene with a smile.

"And _he_," continued Simoun, slapping his Excellency familiarly on
the shoulder, "he will pay me with an order for five days in prison,
or five months, or an order of deportation made out in blank, or let
us say a summary execution by the Civil Guard while my man is being
conducted from one town to another."

This was a strange proposition, so the three who had been pacing
about gathered around.

"But, Señor Simoun," asked the high official, "what good will you
get out of winning promises of virtues, or lives and deportations
and summary executions?"

"A great deal! I'm tired of hearing virtues talked about and would
like to have the whole of them, all there are in the world, tied up
in a sack, in order to throw them into the sea, even though I had to
use my diamonds for sinkers."