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The Fat and the Thin by Émile Zola
page 60 of 440 (13%)
tone. "She's chosen to set up for herself and her affairs no longer
concern me. When her lovers have beggared her, she needn't come to me
for any bread."

"And you were so good to her, too! She ought to do well this year; fruit
is yielding big profits. And your brother-in-law, how is he?"

"Oh, he----"

Madame Lecoeur bit her lips, and seemed disinclined to say anything
more.

"Still the same as ever, I suppose?" continued Mademoiselle Saget. "He's
a very worthy man. Still, I once heard it said that he spent his money
in such a way that--"

"But does anyone know how he spends his money?" interrupted Madame
Lecoeur, with much asperity. "He's a miserly niggard, a scurvy fellow,
that's what I say! Do you know, mademoiselle, he'd see me die of
starvation rather than lend me five francs! He knows quite well that
there's nothing to be made out of butter this season, any more than
out of cheese and eggs; whereas he can sell as much poultry as ever he
chooses. But not once, I assure you, not once has he offered to help me.
I am too proud, as you know, to accept any assistance from him; still it
would have pleased me to have had it offered."

"Ah, by the way, there he is, your brother-in-law!" suddenly exclaimed
Mademoiselle Saget, lowering her voice.

The two women turned and gazed at a man who was crossing the road to
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