"Monseigneur, in the interest of your dear godson, I will tell you in confidence that I think the air of Paris is bad for him." "What!" "Yes, and you would do wisely to send him back to Germany; his health would improve very much, monseigneur, very much indeed." "Is this a pleasantry, monsieur?" "It is serious, monseigneur, so serious that the only condition that I put to the conclusion of our affair is that you must make your godson depart for Germany in twenty-four hours at the latest." "Truly, monsieur, I cannot recover from my surprise. What interest have you in the departure of Frantz? It is inexplicable." "I am going to explain myself, monseigneur, and that you may better understand the interest I have in his departure, I must make you a confidence; that will enable me to point out exactly what I expect from you. Now then, monseigneur, such as you see me I am madly in love. Eh, my God! yes, madly in love; that seems queer to you and to me also. But the fact remains. I am in love with a young girl named Mlle. Antonine Hubert, your neighbour." "You, monsieur, you!" exclaimed the prince, dismayed. "Certainly, me! Me! Pascal! And why not, monsieur? 'Love is of every age,' says the song. Only, as it is also of the age of your godson, Count Frantz, he has in the most innocent way in the world begun to love Mlle. Antonine; she, not less innocently, returns the love of this pretty boy, which places me, you see, in an exceedingly disobliging frame of mind; fortunately, you can assist me in getting out of this frame of mind, monseigneur." "I?" "Yes, monseigneur; I will tell you how. Assure me that you will require Count Frantz to leave France this instant,--and that is easy,--and demand also that he is not to set foot in France for several years; the rest belongs to me." "But there is another thing you do not think of, monsieur. If this young person loves Frantz?" "The rest belongs to me, I tell you, monseigneur. President Hubert has not two days to live; my batteries are ready, the little girl will be forced to go to live with an old relative who is horribly covetous and avaricious; a hundred thousand francs will answer to me for this old vixen, and once she gets the little girl in her clutches I swear to God that Antonine will become, willing or unwilling, Madame Pascal, and that, too, without resorting to violence. Come now, monseigneur, all the love affairs of fifteen years will not hold against the desire to become, I will not say madame the archduchess, but madame the archmillionaire. Now, monseigneur, you see it all, I have frankly played the cards on the table; having no interest in acting otherwise, it is of little or no moment to you that your godson should marry a little girl who has not a cent. The condition that I impose is the easiest possible one to fulfil. Again, is it yes, or is it no?"