“Unless one of these days I have something coming in, I might⁠—”

“Besides,” said she, “as soon as the balance of Barneville⁠—”

“What!”

And on hearing that Langlois had not yet paid he seemed much surprised. Then in a honied voice⁠—

“And we agree, you say?”

“Oh! to anything you like.”

On this he closed his eyes to reflect, wrote down a few figures, and declaring it would be very difficult for him, that the affair was shady, and that he was being bled, he wrote out four bills for two hundred and fifty francs each, to fall due month by month.

“Provided that Vinçart will listen to me! However, it’s settled. I don’t play the fool; I’m straight enough.”