anything," he said; "you will keep my wife and
myself, and we will reckon up later on."

Pierre was short of money at the time, and accepted, not, however,
without some uneasiness at Aristide's disinterestedness. The latter
calculated that it would be years before his father would have ten
thousand francs in ready money to repay him, so that he and his wife
would live at the paternal expense so long as the partnership could not
be dissolved. It was an admirable investment for his few bank-notes.
When the oil-dealer understood what a foolish bargain he had made he
was not in a position to rid himself of Aristide; Angele's dowry was
involved in speculations which were turning out unfavourably. He
was exasperated, stung to the heart, at having to provide for his
daughter-in-law's voracious appetite and keep his son in idleness. Had
he been able to buy them out of the business he would twenty times have
shut his doors on those bloodsuckers, as he emphatically expressed it.
Felicite secretly defended them; the young man, who had divined her
dreams of ambition, would every evening describe to her the elaborate
plans by which he would shortly make a fortune. By a rare chance she
had remained on excellent terms with her daughter-in-law. It must be
confessed that Angele had no will of her own--she could be moved and
disposed of like a piece of furniture.

Meantime Pierre became enraged whenever his wife spoke to him of the
success their youngest son would ultimately achieve; he declared that
he would really bring them to ruin. During the four years that the young
couple lived with him he stormed in this manner, wasting his impotent
rage in quarrels, without in the least disturbing the equanimity of
Aristide and Angele. They were located there, and there they intended
to remain like blocks of wood. At last Pierre met with a stroke of luck
which enabled him to return the ten thousand francs to his son. When,
however, he wanted to reckon up accounts with him, Aristide interposed
so much chicanery that he had to let the couple go without deducting
a copper for their board and lodging. They installed themselves but
a short distance off, in a part of the old quarter called the Place
Saint-Louis. The ten thousand francs were soon consumed. They had
everything to get for their new home. Moreover Aristide made no change
in his mode of living as long as any money was left in the house. When
he had reached the last hundred-franc note he f