"But ah! to try to humiliate a man like you!" "Wait till I return, my child," said the old man leaving her.
When the doctor re-entered Madame de Portenduere's salon he found Dionis the notary, accompanied by Monsieur Bongrand and the mayor of Nemours, witnesses required by law for the validity of deeds in all communes where there is but one notary.

Minoret took Monsieur Dionis aside and said a word in his ear, after which the notary read the deeds aloud officially; from which it appeared that Madame de Portenduere gave a mortgage on all her property to secure payment of the hundred thousand francs, the interest on which was fixed at five per cent.

At the reading of this last clause the abbe looked at Minoret, who answered with an approving nod.

The poor priest whispered something in the old lady's ear to which she replied,-- "I will owe nothing to such persons." "My mother leaves me the nobler part," said Savinien to the doctor; "she will repay the money and charges me to show our gratitude." "But you will have to pay eleven thousand francs the first year to meet the interest and the legal costs," said the abbe.
"Monsieur," said Minoret to Dionis, "as Monsieur and Madame de Portenduere are not in a condition to pay those costs, add them to the amount of the mortgage and I will pay them." Dionis made the change and the sum borrowed was fixed at one hundred and seven thousand francs.

When the papers were all signed, Minoret made his fatigue an excuse to leave the house at the same time as the notary and witnesses.
"Madame," said the abbe, "why did you affront the excellent Monsieur Minoret, who saved you at least twenty-five thousand francs on those debts in Paris, and had the delicacy to give twenty thousand to your son for his debts of honor ?" "Your Minoret is sly," she said, taking a pinch of snuff.