coffee and liqueurs, Gandrin left Louvier and Alain alone, saying he was
going to his cabinet for cigars which he could recommend. Then Louvier,
lightly patting the Marquis on the shoulder, said with what the French
call effusion, "My dear Rochebriant, your father and I did not quite
understand each other. He took a tone of grand seigneur that sometimes
wounded me; and I in turn was perhaps too rude in asserting my rights--as
creditor, shall I say?--no, as fellow-citizen; and Frenchmen are so vain,
so over-susceptible; fire up at a word; take offence when none is meant.
We two, my dear boy, should be superior to such national foibles. _Bref_
--I have a mortgage on your lands. Why should that thought mar our
friendship? At my age, though I am not yet old, one is flattered if the
young like us, pleased if we can oblige them, and remove from their
career any little obstacle in its way. Gandrin tells me you wish to
consolidate all the charges on your estate into one on a lower rate of
interest. Is it so?"

"I am so advised," said the Marquis.

"And very rightly advised; come and talk with me about it some day next
week. I hope to have a large sum of money set free in a few days. Of
course, mortgages on land don't pay like speculations at the Bourse; but
I am rich enough to please myself. We will see, we will see."

Here Gandrin returned with the cigars; but Alain at that time never
smoked, and Louvier excused himself, with a laugh and a sly wink, on the
plea that he was going to pay his respects--as doubtless that _joli
garcon_ was going to do likewise--to a belle dame who did not reckon the
smell of tobacco among the perfumes of Houbigant or Arabia.

"Meanwhile," added Louvier, turning to Gandrin, "I have something to say