"Heavens! no, it is too early. But I am excessively hungry. I had only a quarter of jugged cat for breakfast, and the brute was tough. In reply to your question, may I put another—Did you lay in plenty of stores?"
"Stores? no; I am a bachelor, and rely on the stores of my married friends."
"Poor De Breze! I sympathise with you, for I am in the same boat, and dinner invitations have become monstrous rare."
"Oh, but you are so confoundedly rich! What to you are forty francs for a rabbit, or eighty francs for a turkey?"
"Well, I suppose I am rich, but I have no money, and the ungrateful restautrants will not give me credit. They don't believe in better days."
"How can you want money?"
"Very naturally. I had invested my capital famously-the best speculations—partly in house rents, partly in company shares; and houses pay no rents, and nobody will buy company shares. I had 1,000 napoleons on hand, it is true, when Duplessis left Paris—much more, I thought, than I could possibly need, for I never believed in the siege. But during the first few weeks I played at whist with bad luck, and since then so many old friends have borrowed of me that I doubt if I have 200 francs left. I have despatched four letters to Duplessis by pigeon and balloon, entreating him to send me 25,000 francs by some trusty fellow who will pierce the Prussian lines. I have had two answers: 1st, that he will find a man; 2nd, that the man is found and on his way. Trust to that man, my dear friend, and meanwhile lend me 200 francs."
"Mon cher, desole to refuse; but I was about to ask you to share your 200 francs with me who live chiefly by my pen; and that resource is cut off. Still, il faut vivre—one must dine."
"That is a fact, and we will dine together to-day at my expense; limited liability, though—eight francs a head."
"Generous Monsieur, I accept. Meanwhile let us take a turn towards the
Madeleine."