so much per cent, 'so much in the pound,'
in legal phrase; so much (that means) in proportion to the amounts
severally claimed by the creditors. But--the creditors cannot touch the
money without a special order from the clerk of the court. Do you guess
what all this work drawn up by a judge and prepared by attorneys must
mean? It means a quantity of stamped paper full of diffuse lines and
blanks, the figures almost lost in vast spaces of completely empty ruled
columns. The first proceeding is to deduct the costs. Now, as the costs
are precisely the same whether the amount attached is one thousand or
one million francs, it is not difficult to eat up three thousand francs
(for instance) in costs, especially if you can manage to raise counter
applications."

"And an attorney always manages to do it," said Cardot. "How many a
time one of you has come to me with, 'What is there to be got out of the
case?'"

"It is particularly easy to manage it if the debtor eggs you on to
run up costs till they eat up the amount. And, as a rule, the Count's
creditors took nothing by that move, and were out of pocket in law and
personal expenses. To get money out of so experienced a debtor as the
Count, a creditor should really be in a position uncommonly difficult to
reach; it is a question of being creditor and debtor both, for then you
are legally entitled to work the confusion of rights, in law language--"

"To the confusion of the debtor?" asked Malaga, lending an attentive ear
to this discourse.

"No, the confusion of rights of debtor and creditor, and pay yourself
through your own hands. So Claparon's innocence in merely issuing writs
of attachment eased the Count's mind. As he came back from the Varietes
with Antonia, he was so much the more taken with the idea of selling
the reading-room to pay off the last two thousand francs of the
purchase-money, because he did not care to have his name made public
as a partner in such a concern. So he adopted Antonia's plan. Antonia
wished to reach the higher ranks of her calling, with splendid rooms,
a maid, and a carriage; in short, she wanted to rival our charming
hostess, for instance--"

"She was not woman enough for that," cried the famous beauty of the
Circus; "still, she ruined young d'Esgrignon very neatly."

"Ten days afterwards, little Croizeau, perched on his dignity, said
almost exactly the same thing, for the fair Antonia's benefit,"
continued Desroches.

"'Child,' said h