You and I, Hortebise, have indulged our every whim, and have spent gold like water, while our friend garnered his harvest and stored it away.

But poor Catenac has no expensive tastes, nor does he care for women or the pleasures of the table.

While we indulged in every pleasure, he lent out his money at usurious interest.

But, stop,--how much do you spend per annum ?" "That is a hard question to answer; but, say, forty thousand francs." "More, a great deal more; but calculate what a capital sum that would amount to during the twenty years we have done business together." The doctor was not clever at figures; he made several vain attempts to solve the problem, and at last gave it up in despair.

"Forty and forty," muttered he, tapping the tips of his fingers, "are eighty, then forty--" "Call it eight hundred thousand francs," broke in Mascarin.