"That is not all!" Uncle Cyprien added. "I have asked to be carried over again.... Nothing doing! Pums did not receive me, and Talloire kicked me out.... I wrote to the Marquis, who is holidaying at Deauville; no reply!... Therefore, this afternoon, unless I have paid up, I shall be 'executed' at the Bourse, and, this evening, I shall execute myself at home!... Tell me, Schleifmann, am I done for or am I not?" The Galician took a turn round the room, with his usual dragging gait, grumbling: "Devilish idiot! Devilish idiot!" Then he asked brusquely. "What about your pension, Raindal?... You could perhaps borrow on that?" "Child!" exclaimed M. Raindal, the younger, paternally. "Do you think that I have waited for you to think of that? Guess what I have been offered for my pension by the usurers: fifteen thousand francs, fifteen paltry thousand francs, not a damned sou more!" The Galician thought. Then after a time he said: "Listen, Raindal!... I have put five thousand francs by.... With your fifteen thousand, that would give you twenty.... Do you want them?" Cyprien came over to press his hand. "You are a very good friend, Schleifmann," he said.... "I am very grateful to you.... That _would_ give me twenty, yes, that is to say, a little less than twenty per cent, enough to make arrangements which would cause some men to call me an honest man, and others--a thief. But after that, my friend! After that, how should I exist? I would not have a penny, not a sou.... I would need to look for a job and, what is more difficult, to find one.... No, you see, I would never have the patience.... I prefer to end it at once!" "You are speaking foolishly!" Schleifmann protested. "To end it!... Why should you?... What a lazy rent-holder you are!... Devil take it, you could work!" "Work!" grunted Cyprien.... "I would work if I were given work to do!... A man of my age, who has been hammered on 'Change.... You know, that is not precisely a good recommendation!" Schleifmann scratched his thick gray hair, thinking fast. At length, he asked: "Come, my dear Cyprien!... I have an idea.... Supposing you were allowed to carry over, would you be able to re-establish your finances?" "I can promise nothing!" Cyprien replied. "But there would be a chance.... This crash will not last.... People affirm on all sides that it is due to a maneuver of the Black Band.... Before the end of this fortnight, everything may be changed.... At all events, if one has to blow up, it would be finer to have fought to the end...." "And, of course, you would gamble again?" "No, Schleifmann! I would not gamble again.... I would maintain my position, as they say ... my splendid position, and I would wait for things to turn up!" "Will you swear it to me on the head of your niece, Mlle. Thérèse?" "I don't like this oath idea very much!... Well, let it be so!... I swear it, upon the head of my nephew.... But why all these preambles and questions?"