“Two hundred gülden, Madame.”

“Not very much. See here; I will lend you five hundred if you wish. Take this purse of mine.” With that she added sharply to the General: “But you need not expect to receive any.”

This seemed to upset him, but he said nothing, and De Griers contented himself by scowling.

“ Que diable! ” he whispered to the General. “ C’est une terrible vieille. ”

“Look! Another beggar, another beggar!” exclaimed the grandmother. “Alexis Ivanovitch, go and give him a gülden.”