Fortunat, "don't worry too much about it. A
father's a father after all, and yours will undoubtedly reform by
and by."
He said this as he would have said anything else, out of
politeness and for the sake of testifying a friendly interest; but
he really cared no more for this information concerning the Chupin
family than the grand Turk. His first emotion had quickly
vanished; and he was beginning to find these confidential
disclosures rather wearisome. "Let us get back to business," he
remarked; "that is to say, to Casimir. What did you do with the
fool after my departure?"
"First, monsieur, I sobered him; which was no easy task. The
greedy idiot had converted himself into a wine-cask! At last,
however, when he could talk as well as you and I, and walk
straight, I took him back to the Hotel de Chalusse."
"That was right. But didn't you have some business to transact
with him?"
"That's been arranged, monsieur; the agreement has been signed.
The count will have the best of funerals--the finest hearse out,
with six horses, twenty-four mourning coaches--a grand display, in
fact. It will be worth seeing."
M. Fortunat smiled graciously. "That ought to bring you a
handsome commission," he said, benignly.
Employed by the job, Chupin was the master of his own time, free
to utilize his intelligence and industry as he chose, but M.
Fortunat did not like his subordinates to make any money except
through him.
Pages:
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368