“I will talk to him about it,” replied Rigou, imperturbably. “Meantime this is what I should say to you if I were in his place: ‘For the last five years you have taken Monsieur Rigou four thousand francs a year, and that worthy man gives you seven and a half per cent; which makes your property in his hands at this moment over twenty-seven thousand francs, as you have not drawn the interest. But there exists a private signed agreement between you and Rigou, and the Shopman will dismiss his steward whenever the Abbe Brossette lays that document before his eyes; the abbe will be able to do so after receiving an anonymous letter which will inform him of your double-dealing. You would therefore do better for yourself by keeping well with us instead of clamoring for your pay in advance,--all the more because Monsieur Rigou, who is not legally bound to give you seven and a half per cent and the interest on your interest, will make you in court a legal tender of your twenty thousand francs, and you will not be able to touch that money until your suit, prolonged by legal trickery, shall be decided by the court at Ville-aux-Fayes. But if you act wisely you will find that when Monsieur Rigou gets possession of your pavilion at Les Aigues, you will have very nearly thirty thousand francs in his hands and thirty thousand more which the said Rigou may entrust to you,--which will be all the more advantageous to you then because the peasantry will have flung them themselves upon the estate of Les Aigues, divided into small lots like the poverty of the world.’ That’s what Monsieur Gaubertin might say to you. As for me, I have nothing to say, for it is none of my business. Gaubertin and I have our own quarrel with that son of the people who is ashamed of his own father, and we follow our own course. If my friend Gaubertin feels the need of using you, I don’t; I need no one, for everybody is at my command. As to the Keeper of the Seals, that functionary is often changed; whereas we--WE are always here, and can bide our time.” “Well, I’ve warned you,” returned Sibilet, feeling like a donkey under a pack-saddle. “Warned me of what?” said Rigou, artfully. “Of what the Shopman is going to do,” answered the steward, humbly. “He started for the Prefecture in a rage.” “Let him go! If the Montcornets and their kind didn’t use wheels, what would become of the carriage-makers?” “I shall bring you three thousand francs to-night,” said Sibilet, “but you ought to make over some of your maturing mortgages to me,--say, one or two that would secure to me good lots of land.”