“Then _I_ will.” “Be it so. But set to work without delay.” “Oh! we have time enough!” “You kill me, D’Herblay, with your calmness,” said the superintendent, passing his handkerchief over his face. “Do you not remember that I one day told you not to make yourself uneasy, if you possessed courage? _Have_ you any?” “I believe so.” “Then don’t make yourself uneasy.” “It is decided then, that, at the last moment, you will come to my assistance.” “It will only be the repayment of a debt I owe you.” “It is the vocation of financiers to anticipate the wants of men such as yourself, D’Herblay.” “If obligingness is the vocation of financiers, charity is the virtue of the clergy. Only, on this occasion, do you act, monsieur. You are not yet sufficiently reduced, and at the last moment we will see what is to be done.” “We shall see, then, in a very short time.” “Very well. However, permit me to tell you that, personally, I regret exceedingly that you are at present so short of money, because I myself was about to ask you for some.” “For yourself?” “For myself, or some of my people, for mine or for ours.” “How much do you want?” “Be easy on that score; a roundish sum, it is true, but not too exorbitant.” “Tell me the amount.” “Fifty thousand francs.” “Oh! a mere nothing. Of course one has always fifty thousand francs. Why the deuce cannot that knave Colbert be as easily satisfied as you are--and I should give myself far less trouble than I do. When do you need this sum?” “To-morrow morning; but you wish to know its destination?” “Nay, nay, chevalier, I need no explanation.” “To-morrow is the first of June.” “Well?” “One of our bonds becomes due.” “I did not know we had any bonds.” “Certainly, to-morrow we pay our last third instalment.” “What third?” “Of the one hundred and fifty thousand francs to Baisemeaux.” “Baisemeaux? Who is he?” “The governor of the Bastile.” “Yes, I remember. On what grounds am I to pay one hundred and fifty thousand francs for that man.” “On account of the appointment which he, or rather we, purchased from Louviere and Tremblay.” “I have a very vague recollection of the matter.” “That is likely enough, for you have so many affairs to attend to. However, I do not believe you have any affair in the world of greater importance than this one.” “Tell me, then, why we purchased this appointment.” “Why, in order to render him a service in the first place, and afterwards ourselves.” “Ourselves? You are joking.” “Monseigneur, the time may come when the governor of the Bastile may prove a very excellent acquaintance.” “I have not the good fortune to understand you, D’Herblay.” “Monseigneur, we had our own poets, our own engineer, our own architect, our own musicians, our own printer, and our own painters; we needed our own governor of the Bastile.” “Do you think so?”