"How lovely to be able to write for the theatre!" Blanche exclaimed. "Think, all the money Jacques has had from editors, with his royalties from _Contes du Quartier_ as well, is not anything like as much as Henri can make with a single play!" And, as if fearing that her cousin might misconstrue her plaint, she added emotionally, "Not that I grudge him his good fortune, Heaven knows!" "I know it, too, chérie," responded Elise, squeezing her hand. "Jacques' innings will come. I am very sure it will come. It is atrocious that Henri and I should have all the luck in the meantime." The vivacity seemed to be taking a solemn turn, so I put in, "And what about _me_? For me both your households are too wealthy--I blunder in knowing either of you. A pauper should never have rich friends." "Tiens! That is a novel philosophy," said Elise inquiringly. "It is sound. What do they yield him? At best, an invitation to dinner. Which does not compensate for the despondence he suffers in contrasting their grandeur with his garret. The poor devil of discretion associates with people even worse off than himself--and by comparison feels prosperous." "You old humbug!" they laughed at me. And addressing Blanche again, Elise Dufour said, "Wait till those dividends come rolling in! He will gnash his teeth more than ever, won't he?" "Dividends?" said I. "What dividends? Who dares to mention dividends in front of me?" "Ah! he hasn't heard," cried Blanche, recovering her buoyancy. "Henri is going to get a hundred shares for Jacques in a company that is coming out. We should not be able to get them ourselves, but the man is a friend of Henri's. What do you think of it, our making investments? Isn't it great?" "It is true," said Elise, nodding. "It will be a very good thing. Henri means to apply for quite a lot." I could guess what it was, though, not being a capitalist, I paid no heed to the Bourse and was absolutely ignorant whether Amalgamated Pancakes were heavy, or Funded Fireworks had gone up. Henri had chanced to speak of it to me. I had no doubt that Jacques might do much worse than hold a hundred shares in that concern. "What do you think of it?" repeated Blanche. "We have been working eight years to save three thousand francs--won't it seem wonderful to have a few francs that we haven't worked for at all coming in every year?"