mily, the Sum Of TWO HUNDRED AND TWELVE
MILLIONS, ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-FIVE THOUSAND FRANCS." And the old man
looked at his wife with an expression of legitimate pride. "It is hardly
credible!" cried Bathsheba, struck with surprise. "I knew that you had
immense property in your hands; but I could never have believed, that
one hundred and fifty thousand francs, left a century and a half ago,
should be the only source of this immense fortune."

"It is even so, Bathsheba," answered the old man, proudly. "Doubtless,
my grandfather, my father, and myself, have all been exact and faithful
in the management of these funds; doubtless, we have required some
sagacity in the choice of investments, in times of revolution and
commercial panics; but all this was easy to us, thanks to our relations
with our brethren in all countries--and never have I, or any of mine,
made an usurious investment, or even taken the full advantage of
the legal rate of interest. Such were the positive demands of M. de
Rennepont, given to my grandfather; nor is there in the world a
fortune that has been obtained by purer means. Had it not been for this
disinterestedness, we might have much augmented this two hundred
and twelve millions, only by taking advantage of a few favorable
circumstances."

"Dear me! is it possible?"

"Nothing is more simple, Bathsheba. Every one knows, that in fourteen
years a capital will be doubled, by the mere accumulation of interest
and compound interest at five per cent. Now reflect, that in a century
and a half there are ten times fourteen years, and that these one
hundred and fifty thousands francs have thus been doubled and redoubled,
over and over again. All that astonishes you will then appear plain
enough. In 1682, M. de Rennepont entrusted my grandfather with a hundred
and fifty thousand francs; this sum, invested as I have told you, would
have produced in 1696, fourteen years after, three hundred thousand
francs. These last, doubled in 1710, would produce six hundred thousand.
On the death of my grandfather in 1719, the amount was already near a
million; in 1724, it would be twelve hundred thousand francs; in 1738,
two millions four hundred thousand; in 1752, about two years after my
birth, four millions eight hundred thousand; in 1766, nine millions six
hundred thousand; in 1780, nineteen millions two hundred thousand; in
1794, twelve years after the death of my father, thirty-eight millions
four hundred thousan