You'll never be anything but a sheriff's officer," put in
Metivier, striking Mitral amicably on the shoulder; "I like that, I do!"

"Seize Monsieur Clement des Lupeaulx in our clutches," continued Mitral;
"Elisabeth has discovered how to do it, and he is--"

"Elisabeth"; cried Gigonnet, interrupting again; "dear little creature!
she takes after her grandfather, my poor brother! he never had his
equal! Ah, you should have seen him buying up old furniture; what tact!
what shrewdness! What does Elisabeth want?"

"Hey! hey!" cried Mitral, "you've got back your bowels of compassion,
papa Gigonnet! That phenomenon has a cause."

"Always a child," said Gobseck to Gigonnet, "you are too quick on the
trigger."

"Come, Gobseck and Gigonnet, listen to me; you want to keep well with
des Lupeaulx, don't you? You've not forgotten how you plucked him in
that affair about the king's debts, and you are afraid he'll ask you to
return some of his feathers," said Mitral.

"Shall we tell him the whole thing?" asked Gobseck, whispering to
Gigonnet.

"Mitral is one of us; he wouldn't play a shabby trick on his former
customers," replied Gigonnet. "You see, Mitral," he went on, speaking to
the ex-sheriff in a low voice, "we three have just bought up all those
debts, the payment of which depends on the decision of the liquidation
committee."

"How much will you lose?" asked Mitral.

"Nothing," said Gobseck.

"Nobody knows we are in it," added Gigonnet; "Samanon screens us."

"Come, listen to me, Gigonnet; it is cold, and your niece is waiting
outside. You'll understand what I want in two words. You must at
once, between you, send two hundred and fifty thousand francs (without
interest) into the country after Falleix, who has gone post-haste, with
a courier in advance of him."

"Is it possible!" said Gobseck.

"What for?" cried Gigonnet, "and where to?"

"To des Lupeaulx's magnificent country-seat," replied Mitral. "Falleix
knows the country, for he was born there; and he is going to buy up
land all round the secretary's miserable hovel, with the two hundred
and fifty thousand francs I speak of,--good land, well worth the price.
There are only nine days before us for drawing up and recording the
notarial deeds (bear that in mind). With the addition of this land, des
Lupeaulx's present miserable property would pay taxes to the amount of
one thousand francs, the sum necessary to make a man eligible to the
Chamber. Ergo, with it