"To do what? To buy a coat? Is that what you mean?"
"Faith! something like it."
"I love independence, liberty, monsieur."
"Those words have been sadly abused of late, monsieur. And if your love of liberty compels you to go abroad in shabby clothes, it seems to me that you would do well to prefer love of work to it."
"Look you, my dear monsieur, I believe that you are undertaking to preach to me—and I have never stood that from anybody!"
"Perhaps that is the great mistake you have made."
"Corbleu! you are lucky to be the uncle of a young man for whom I felt at once a sincere affection.—Let us say no more. Gustave is in Spain?"
"Yes, monsieur."
"For a long time?"
"I cannot tell exactly."