"Well, Monsieur Griffard," he continued, regarding himself at the same time in a little pocket-mirror to see whether his smooth hair had been rumpled, "if you have only got good news to tell me, I, on the other hand, have brought you nothing but bad." "Par exemple ?" "Par exemple.

You know I went to Hungary to look after a certain inheritance of mine, a certain patrimony which would bring me in a clear million and a half." "I know," said the banker, with a cold smile, and one of his hands began playing with a pen.
"Then you also know, perhaps, that in the Asiatic kingdom where my inheritance lies, nothing is on such a bad footing as the land, except it be the king's highways.

But no, the law is much the worse.

The highways, if the weather be dry, are tolerable, but the law is always the same whether there be rain or sunshine." Here the young Merveilleux stood up as if to allow the banker an opportunity to congratulate him on this _jeu d'esprit_, but the other only smiled calmly.
"You must know, moreover," continued Abellino, "that there is a vile expression in the Hungarian language, 'Intra dominium et extra dominium,' which may be expressed in French by 'In possession and out of possession.' Now, whatever right anybody may have to any property, if he be out of possession he is in a hobble; while he who happens to be in possession, let him be the biggest usurper in the world, may laugh at the other fellow, and spin the case out indefinitely.

Now, here am I, for instance.