“Well, then, if you wish to be agreeable to me, pass it through the hole to me. I wish to examine it. It, at all events, will speak to me of liberty.”
“Monsieur,” said Ferminard, “if my pockets were full of louis, I would pass them to you for the asking. But the big sou—no.”
“And why not, may I ask?”
“Because, monsieur, it would, as you say, talk to you of liberty, and it might even tempt you to try and make your escape.”
“And why should I not make my escape?”
“For two reasons, monsieur. First, you have forgotten that you are hiding from M. de Choiseul.”
“Curse Choiseul!”
“I agree, yet still you are hiding from him. Secondly——”
“Well?”
“Secondly, monsieur, if you escaped, I would be left with no one to talk to.”