n life seemed to be the concoction of
sirups and liqueurs. "A good sirup or a good liqueur is enough to make a
fortune," he would often say.

He had compounded hundreds of these sweet mixtures without ever
succeeding in floating one of them. Pierre declared that Marowsko always
reminded him of Marat.

Two little glasses were fetched out of the back shop and placed on the
mixing-board. Then the two men scrutinized the colour of the fluid by
holding it up to the gas.

"A fine ruby," Pierre declared.

"Isn't it?" Marowsko's old parrot-face beamed with satisfaction.

The doctor tasted, smacked his lips, meditated, tasted again, meditated
again, and spoke:

"Very good--capital; and quite new in flavour. It is a find, my dear
fellow."

"Ah, really? Well, I am very glad."

Then Marowsko took counsel as to baptizing the new liqueur. He wanted
to call it "Extract of currants," or else "_Fine Groseille_" or
"_Groselia_," or again "_Groseline_." Pierre did not approve of either
of these names.

Then the old man had an idea:

"What you said just now would be very good, very good: 'Fine Ruby.'"
But the doctor disputed the merit of this name, though it had originated
with him. He recommended simply "Groseillette," which Marowsko thought
admirable.

Then they were silent, and sat for some minutes without a word under the
solitary gas-lamp. At last Pierre began, almost in spite of himself:

"A queer thing has happened at home this evening. A friend of my
father's, who is lately dead, has left his fortune to my brother."

The druggist did not at first seem to understand, but after thinking it
over he hoped that the doctor had half the inheritance. When the matter
was clearly explained to him he appeared surprised and vexed; and to
express his dissatisfaction at finding that his young friend had been
sacrificed, he said several times over:

"It will not look well."

Pierre, who was relapsing into nervous irritation, wanted to know what
Marowsko meant by this phrase.

Why would it not look well? What was there to look badly in the fact
that his brother had come into the money of a friend of the family?

But the cautious old man would not explain further.

"In such a case the money is left equally to the two brothers, and I
tell you, it will not look well."

And the doctor, out of all patience, went away, returned to his father's
house, and went to bed. For some time afterward he heard Jean moving
softly about the