“A mother who refuses to support her child has no right to demand an account of her actions.”
“But this purse—you are giving me too much, monsieur.”
“The purse contains only three hundred francs; I won it two days ago at écarté. Really, Nicette, if you knew how easily money is lost at cards, you would be less grateful to me for this trifle.”
“A trifle! three hundred francs! enough to set me up in business! Why, monsieur, it’s a treasure!”
“Yes, to you who know the full value of money, and use it judiciously. But things are valuable only so long as they are in their proper place.”
“All this means, I suppose, that you are very rich?”
“It means that, having been brought up in affluence, accustomed to gratify all my whims, I am not familiar enough with the value of money. This three hundred francs that I offer you, I should probably lose at cards without a pang; so take the money, Nicette; you can give it back to me, if the day ever comes when I need it.”
“Oh, yes! whenever you want it, monsieur; everything I have will always be at your service.”
“I don’t doubt it, my dear friend; so that business is settled.”
“Yes, monsieur; if my mother sends me away, I’ll hire a small room, I’ll buy flowers; I’ll be saving and orderly, and perhaps some day I’ll get where I can have a nice little shop of my own.”