Towards five in the afternoon Grandet returned from Angers, having made fourteen thousand francs by the exchange on his gold, bringing home in his wallet good treasury-notes which bore interest until the day he should invest them in the Funds. He had left Cornoiller at Angers to look after the horses, which were well-nigh foundered, with orders to bring them home slowly after they were rested.
“I have got back from Angers, wife,” he said; “I am hungry.”
Nanon called out to him from the kitchen: “Haven’t you eaten anything since yesterday?”
“Nothing,” answered the old man.
Nanon brought in the soup. Des Grassins came to take his client’s orders just as the family sat down to dinner. Grandet had not even observed his nephew.
“Go on eating, Grandet,” said the banker; “we can talk. Do you know what gold is worth in Angers? They have come from Nantes after it? I shall send some of ours.”
“Don’t send any,” said Grandet; “they have got enough. We are such old friends, I ought to save you from such a loss of time.”
“But gold is worth thirteen francs fifty centimes.”
“Say was worth—”
“Where the devil have they got any?”