by the houses next to
it that I can neither get space for a ball-room for Valerie, nor a
dining-room for more than a friendly party like that which has honoured
me to-day. Eh bien! I bought this house a few years ago, meaning to buy
the one next to it and throw the two into one. I went to the proprietor
of the next house, who, as I knew, wished to sell. 'Aha,' he thought,
'this is the rich Monsieur Duplessis;' and he asked me 2000 louis more
than the house was worth. We men of business cannot bear to be too much
cheated; a little cheating we submit to--much cheating raises our gall.
Bref--this was on Monday. I offered the man 1000 louis above the fair
price, and gave him till Thursday to decide. Somehow or other Louvier
hears of this. 'Hillo!' says Louvier, 'here is a financier who desires a
hotel to vie with mine!' He goes on Wednesday to my next-door neighbour.
'Friend, you want to sell your house. I want to buy--the price?' The
proprietor, who does not know him by sight, says: 'It is as good as
sold. M. Duplessis and I shall agree.' 'Bah! What sum did you ask M.
Duplessis?' He names the sum; 2000 louis more than he can get elsewhere.
'But M. Duplessis will give me the sum.' 'You ask too little. I will
give 3000. A fig for M. Duplessis. I am Monsieur Louvier.' So when I
call on Thursday the house is sold. I reconcile myself easily enough to
the loss of space for a larger dining-room; but though Valerie was then
a child at a convent, I was sadly disconcerted by the thought that I
could have no salle de bal ready for her when she came to reside with
me. Well, I say to myself, patience; I owe M. Louvier a good turn; my
time to pay him off will come. It does come, and very soon. M. Louvier
buys an estate near Paris--builds a superb villa. Close to his property
is a rising forest ground for sale. He goes to the proprietor: says the
proprietor to himself, 'The great Louvier wants this,' and adds 5000
louis to its market price. Louvier, like myself, can't bear to be
cheated egregiously. Louvier offers 2000 louis more than the man
could fairly get, and leaves him till Saturday to consider. I hear of
this--speculators hear of everything. On Friday night I go to the man
and I give him 6000 louis, where he had asked 5000. Fancy Louvier's face
the next day! But there my revenge only begins," continued Duplessis,
chuckling inwardly. "My forest looks down on the villa he is building. I
only wait till his villa is built, in order to s