And he repeated: "'Tis maddening, positively maddening. Here are fireworks worth two thousand three hundred francs destroyed, entirely destroyed!"
Gontran replied: "No, my dear fellow, on a proper calculation, the loss does not mount up to more than a quarter; let us put it at a third, if you like; say seven hundred and sixty-six francs. Your guests will, therefore, have enjoyed fifteen hundred and thirty-four francs' worth of rockets. This truly is not bad."
The banker's anger turned against his brother-in-law. He caught him roughly by the arm: "Gontran, I want to talk seriously to you. Since I have a hold of you, let us take a turn in the walks. Besides, I have five minutes to spare."
Then, turning toward Christiane: "I place you in charge of our friend Bretigny, my dear; but don't remain a long time out--take care of yourself. You might catch cold, you know. Be careful! be careful!"
So Andermatt carried off Gontran. When they were alone, at a little distance from the crowd, the banker stopped: "My dear fellow, 'tis about your financial position that I want to talk."
"Yes, you know it well, your financial position."
"No. But you ought to know it for me, since you lent money to me."
"Well, yes, I do know it, and 'tis for that reason I want to talk to you."
"It seems to me, to say the least of it, that the moment is ill chosen--in the midst of a display of fireworks!"
"The moment, on the contrary, is very well chosen. I am not talking to you in the midst of a display of fireworks, but before a ball."
"Well, you are going to understand. Here is your position: you have nothing except debts; and you'll never have anything but debts."
Gontran gravely replied: "You tell me that a little bluntly."
"Yes, because it is necessary. Listen to me! You have eaten up the share which came to you as a fortune from your mother. Let us say no more about that."
"As for your father, he possesses a yearly income of thirty thousand francs, say, a capital of about eight hundred thousand francs. Your share, later on, will, therefore, be four hundred thousand francs. Now you owe me--me, personally--one hundred and ninety thousand francs. You owe money besides to usurers."
Gontran muttered in a haughty tone: "Say, to Jews."