" And as if to prove that he had divined even the
details of the scheme devised by his young friend, he added:
"Besides, every one knows that a millionaire's business agent is
anything but a pleasant person to deal with. A millionaire, who
is not a fool, must always smile, and no matter how absurd the
demands upon him may be, he must always answer: 'Yes, certainly,
certainly--I should be only too happy!' But then he adds: 'You
must arrange the matter with my agent. Confer with him.' And it
is the unlucky agent who must object, declare that his employer
has no money at his disposal just now, and finally say, 'No.'"
Pascal was still disposed to insist, but the baron was obdurate.
"Oh! enough, enough!" he exclaimed. "Don't waste precious time in
idle discussion. The days are only twenty-four hours long: and as
you see, I'm very busy, so busy that I've not touched a card since
the day before yesterday. I am preparing a delightful surprise
for Madame Trigault, my daughter, and my son-in-law. It has been
rather a delicate operation, but I flatter myself that I have
succeeded finely." And he laughed a laugh that was not pleasant to
hear. "You see, I've had enough of paying several hundred
thousand francs a year for the privilege of being sneered at by my
wife, scorned by my daughter, swindled by my son-in-law, and
vilified and anathematized by all three of them.
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