the renewal of subscriptions to the paper would be
coming in, there would be plenty of money in hand, and they could then
see what had best be done. Besides, couldn't Nathan write a play? As a
matter of pride Raoul determined to pay off the notes at once. Du Tillet
gave Raoul a letter to Gigonnet, who counted out the money on a note of
Nathan's at twenty days' sight. Instead of asking himself the reason of
such unusual facility, Raoul felt vexed at his folly in not having asked
for more. That is how men who are truly remarkable for the power of
thought are apt to behave in practical business; they seem to reserve
the power of their mind for their writings, and are fearful of lessening
it by putting it to use in the daily affairs of life.

Raoul related his morning to Florine and Blondet. He gave them an
inimitable sketch of Gigonnet, his fireplace without fire, his shabby
wall-paper, his stairway, his asthmatic bell, his aged straw mattress,
his den without warmth, like his eye. He made them laugh about this
new uncle; they neither troubled themselves about du Tillet and his
pretended want of money, nor about an old usurer so ready to disburse.
What was there to worry about in that?

"He has only asked you fifteen per cent," said Blondet; "you ought to
be grateful to him. At twenty-five per cent you don't bow to those old
fellows. This is money-lending; usury doesn't begin till fifty per cent;
and then you despise the usurer."

"Despise him!" cried Florine; "if any of your friends lent you money at
that price they'd pose as your benefactors."

"She is right; and I am glad I don't owe anything now to du Tillet,"
said Raoul.

Why this lack of penetration as to their personal affairs in men whose
business it is to penetrate all things? Perhaps the mind cannot be
complete at all points; perhaps artists of every kind live too much in
the present moment to study the future; perhaps they are too observant
of the ridiculous to notice snares, or they may believe that none would
dare to lay a snare for such as they. However this may be, the future
arrived in due time. Twenty days later Raoul's notes were protested, but
Florine obtained from the Court of commerce an extension of twenty-five
days in which to meet them. Thus pressed, Raoul looked into his affairs
and asked for the accounts, and it then appeared that the receipts
of the newspaper covered only two-thirds of the expenses, while the
subscriptions were rapidly dwind