The few vestiges of honesty that were still left in his corrupted soul revolted at the thought of the shameful compact into which he was about to enter, but the dazzling prospect held out before his eyes silenced his scruples, and he felt a certain pride in being the associate of men who possessed such seemingly illimitable power.

Mascarin saw that there was no longer any necessity for the extreme firmness with which he had before spoken, and it was with the most studied courtesy that he replied: "I have no orders to give you, Marquis, our interests are identical, and we must all have a voice in the deliberations as to the best means of carrying them out." This change from _hauteur_ to suavity gratified Croisenois' pride immensely.
"Now," continued Mascarin, "let us speak of your own circumstances.

You wrote to me recently that you had nothing, and I am aware that you have no expectations for the future." "Excuse me, but there is the fortune of my poor brother George, who disappeared so mysteriously." "Let me assure you," answered Mascarin, "that we had better be perfectly frank with each other." "And am I not so ?" answered the Marquis.
"Why, in talking of this imaginary fortune ?" "It is not imaginary; it is real, and a very large one, too, about twelve or fourteen hundred thousand francs, and I can obtain it, for, by Articles 127 and 129 of the Code Napoleon---" He interrupted himself, as he saw an expression of hardly-restrained laughter upon the features of Dr.Hortebise.
"Do not talk nonsense," answered Mascarin.

"You could at first have filed an affidavit regarding your brother's disappearance, and applied to the Court to appoint you trustee, but this is now exactly what you wish to avoid." "Why not, pray?
Do you think----" "Pooh, pooh, but you have raised so much money on this inheritance that there is nothing of it left hardly, certainly not sufficient to pay your debts.

It is the bait you used to allure your tradespeople into giving you credit." At finding himself so easily fathomed, Croisenois burst into a peel of laughter.