FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141  
142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   >>   >|  
tyle, much used by the modern school of Shylocks. When not in business, he was a pleasant, and, as some say, a witty companion. He was not looked on as an ascetic, and did not despise those little pleasures which enable us to sustain life's tortuous journey. He liked a good dinner, and had always a smile ready for a young and attractive face. He was a widower, and all his love was concentrated on his daughter. He did not keep a very extravagant establishment, but the report in the neighborhood was that Mademoiselle Flavia, the daughter of the eminent banker, would one day come into millions. The banker always did his business on foot, for the sake of his health, as he said; but Flavia had a sweet little Victoria, drawn by two thoroughbred horses, to drive in the Bois de Boulogne, under the protection of an old woman, half companion and half servant, who was driven half mad by her charge's caprices. As yet her father has never denied her anything. He worked harder than all his clerks put together, for, after having spent the morning in his counting house over his papers, he received all business clients. On the day after Flavia and Paul Violaine had met at Van Klopen's, M. Martin Rigal was, at about half-past five, closeted with one of his female clients. She was young, very pretty, and dressed with simple elegance, but the expression of her face was profoundly melancholy. Her eyes were overflowing with tears, which she made vain efforts to restrain. "If you refuse to renew our bill, sir, we are ruined," said she. "I could meet it in January. I have sold all my trinkets, and we are existing on credit." "Poor little thing!" interrupted the banker. Her hopes grew under these words of pity. "And yet," continued she, "business has never been so brisk. New customers are constantly coming in, and though our profits are small, the returns are rapid." As Martin Rigal heard her exposition of the state of affairs, he nodded gravely. "That is all very well," said he at last, "but this does not make the security you offer me of any more value. I have more confidence in you." "But remember, sir, that we have thirty thousand francs' worth of stock." "That is not what I was alluding to," and the banker accompanied these words with so meaning a look, that the poor woman blushed scarlet and almost lost her nerve. "Your stock," said he, "is of no more value in my eyes than the bill you offer me. Suppose, for instance,
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141  
142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
banker
 

business

 

Flavia

 

Martin

 

clients

 
companion
 
daughter
 

meaning

 
trinkets
 

existing


ruined

 

accompanied

 
January
 

alluding

 
refuse
 

overflowing

 
Suppose
 
profoundly
 

melancholy

 

instance


scarlet

 

restrain

 

efforts

 

blushed

 

thirty

 

exposition

 

returns

 

coming

 

profits

 

expression


gravely

 
affairs
 

nodded

 

security

 

constantly

 
customers
 

remember

 
interrupted
 

credit

 
thousand

continued
 

confidence

 
francs
 
counting
 

concentrated

 

extravagant

 
establishment
 

report

 
widower
 

dinner