peaulx, dismissing his valet by a sign.

"You understand French very well," remarked Gigonnet, approvingly.

"Have you come here to torment a man who enabled each of you to make a
couple of hundred thousand francs?"

"And who will help us to make more, I hope," said Gigonnet.

"Some new affair?" asked des Lupeaulx. "If you want me to help you,
consider that I recollect the past."

"So do we," answered Gigonnet.

"My debts must be paid," said des Lupeaulx, disdainfully, so as not to
seem worsted at the outset.

"True," said Gobseck.

"Let us come to the point, my son," said Gigonnet. "Don't stiffen your
chin in your cravat; with us all that is useless. Take these deeds and
read them."

The two usurers took a mental inventory of des Lupeaulx's study while
he read with amazement and stupefaction a deed of purchase which seemed
wafted to him from the clouds by angels.

"Don't you think you have a pair of intelligent business agents in
Gobseck and me?" asked Gigonnet.

"But tell me, to what do I owe such able co-operation?" said des
Lupeaulx, suspicious and uneasy.

"We knew eight days ago a fact that without us you would not have known
till to-morrow morning. The president of the chamber of commerce, a
deputy, as you know, feels himself obliged to resign."

Des Lupeaulx's eyes dilated, and were as big as daisies.

"Your minister has been tricking you about this event," said the concise
Gobseck.

"You master me," said the general-secretary, bowing with an air of
profound respect, bordering however, on sarcasm.

"True," said Gobseck.

"Can you mean to strangle me?"

"Possibly."

"Well, then, begin your work, executioners," said the secretary,
smiling.

"You will see," resumed Gigonnet, "that the sum total of your debts is
added to the sum loaned by us for the purchase of the property; we have
bought them up."

"Here are the deeds," said Gobseck, taking from the pocket of his
greenish overcoat a number of legal papers.

"You have three years in which to pay off the whole sum," said Gigonnet.

"But," said des Lupeaulx, frightened at such kindness, and also by so
apparently fantastic an arrangement. "What do you want of me?"

"La Billardiere's place for Baudoyer," said Gigonnet, quickly.

"That's a small matter, though it will be next to impossible for me to
do it," said des Lupeaulx. "I have just tied my hands."

"Bite the cords with your teeth," said Gigonnet.

"They are sharp," added Gobsec