In reality that did not mean much. Jansoulet arraying himself in Jenkins' ribbon would speedily be punished for unlawfully wearing a decoration. But a _coup de theatre_ is not necessarily logical; this particular one led to an effusion of sentiment, embraces, a generous combat between the two men, the result being that Jenkins restored the objects to his pocket, talking about protests, letters to the newspapers. The Nabob was obliged to stop him again. "Do nothing of the kind, you rascal. In the first place, it would stand in my way another time. Who knows? perhaps on the 15th of next August--" "Oh! I never thought of that," cried Jenkins, jumping at the idea. He put forth his arm, as in David's _Serment_: "I swear it by my sacred honor!" The subject dropped there. At breakfast the Nabob did not refer to it and was as cheerful as usual. His good humor lasted through the day; and de Gery, to whom that scene had been a revelation of the real Jenkins, an explanation of the satirical remarks and restrained wrath of Felicia Ruys when she spoke of the doctor, asked himself to no purpose how he could open his dear master's eyes concerning that scheming hypocrite. He should have known, however, that the men of the South, all effusiveness on the surface, are never so utterly blind, so deluded as to resist the wise results of reflection. That evening the Nabob opened a shabby little portfolio, badly worn at the corners, in which for ten years past he had manoeuvred his millions, minuting his profits and his expenses in hieroglyphics comprehensible to himself alone. He calculated for a moment, then turned to de Gery. "Do you know what I am doing, my dear Paul?" he asked. "No, monsieur." "I have just been reckoning"--and his mocking glance, eloquent of his Southern origin, belied his good-humored smile--"I have just been reckoning that I have spent four hundred and thirty thousand francs to obtain that decoration for Jenkins." Four hundred and thirty thousand francs! And the end was not yet. IX. GRANDMAMMA.