"I came to tell you," replied the other, "that I have received a letter from mother." "I received one, too," said Richard. "She informs me," continued Jenő, "that she is going to double my monthly allowance, and, in order to enable me to fit up my rooms as becomes one of my rank, she sends me a thousand florins." "And she writes to me," said the older brother, "that if I continue to spend money as I have in the past, I shall soon run through my share of the property; and unless I am more economical she will send me no more funds." "But my difficulty," rejoined the other, "is that if I begin now to spend a good deal of money, those over me will notice it. You can't imagine how one is made to suffer for it when once his superiors in the government service begin to suspect him of playing the independent gentleman. Really, I don't know what I shall do. Look here, Richard; do you know what I came for this morning? I came to share with you the money that mother sent me." The other continued to chew his toothpick. "What interest?" he asked. "Don't insult me with such a question!" protested Jenő. "Then you offer to divide with me simply because you don't know how to spend the money yourself and want my help in getting rid of it? Good! I am at your service." "I thought you could make a better use of it than I," said the youth, handing over the half of his thousand florins, and pressing his brother's hand as he did so. "I have something else to give you also," he added, with assumed indifference,--"an invitation to the Plankenhorsts' reception to-morrow evening." Richard rested his elbows on the table and regarded his brother with a satirical smile. "How long have you been acting as advertising agent of the Plankenhorst receptions?" he asked. "They begged me most cordially to invite you in their name," returned the other, moving uneasily in his chair. Richard laughed aloud. "So that is the usury I am to pay?" said he. "What do you mean by that?" asked Jenő, with vexation, rising from his seat.