, that beneath this round and red
visage there lurked all the pitiless and devilish cunning of the
horse-dealer.

M. Boyer, his guest, the confidential servant of the vicomte, was a
tall, thin man, with gray, smooth hair, bald forehead, cunning glance,
with a countenance calm, discreet, and reserved. He expressed himself in
somewhat choice phraseology, with polite, easy manners; he was tolerably
well informed, his political opinions being legitimist, and he could
take his part as first violin in an amateur quartette. From time to
time, and with the best air in the world, he took a pinch of snuff from
a gold snuff-box, set around with fine pearls, after which he
negligently shook with the back of his hand (as white and carefully
attended to as his master's) the particles of snuff from the frill of
his fine Holland shirt.

"Do you know, my dear Edwards," said Boyer, "that your maid, Betty,
really does your meals in a very fair manner! _Ma foi!_ now and then one
gets tired of high living."

"The fact is that Betty is a very good girl," said Edwards, who spoke
very good French. "I shall take her with me into my establishment, if I
make up my mind to set up in housekeeping; and on this point, since we
are alone, my dear Boyer, let us talk of business matters which you know
as well as I do."

"Why, yes, tolerably," said Boyer, modestly taking a pinch of snuff,
"one learns them so naturally, when they are the affairs of others that
occupy us."

"I want your advice on a very important point, and that's the reason I
have begged you to come and take a cup of tea with me."

"I'm at your service, my dear Edwards."

"You know that, besides the race-horses, I had an agreement with M. le
Vicomte to the complete providing of his stable, horses, and men, that
is to say, eight horses and five or six grooms and boys, for twenty-four
thousand francs (nine thousand guineas) a year, including my wages."

"That was moderate enough."

"For four years M. le Vicomte paid me very regularly; but about the
middle of last year he said to me, 'Edwards, I owe you about twenty-four
thousand francs. What value, at the lowest, do you set on my horses and
carriages?' 'Monsieur le Vicomte, the eight horses ought to fetch three
thousand francs (120_l._) each, one with another, and that would make
(and it's true, Boyer, for the pair of phaeton horses cost five hundred
guineas) exactly twenty-four thousand francs for the horses. As to the
carriage