Page:Novels of Honoré de Balzac Volume 23.djvu/79

 as he must have made several good speculations through the advice of his notary at Paris, and that, up to 1822, he must have invested at eight and at seven and a half in the State, the old man now turns over about four hundred thousand francs, besides his fourteen thousand francs income from the five per cents, now at one hundred and sixteen. If he were to die to-morrow without favoring Ursule, he would then leave us seven to eight hundred thousand francs, besides his house and furniture.”

“Well then, one hundred thousand to Minoret, one hundred thousand to the little one, and to each of us three hundred; that would be just.”

“Ah! that would fit us nicely.”

“If he did that,” cried Massin, “I would sell my clerkship, and I would buy a fine estate; I should try to become judge at Fontainebleau, and I should be deputy.”

“As for me, I should buy a stockbroker’s business,” said the tax-gatherer.

“Unfortunately, this little girl he has on his arm, and the curé have hemmed him in so well, that we can do nothing with him.”

“After all, we are always quite sure that he will leave nothing to the Church.”

Everyone can now understand what a fright the heirs were in at seeing their uncle going to mass. Everyone is intelligent enough to imagine any injury to self-interest. Interest constitutes the peasant’s mind as it does that of the diplomatist, and, on this footing, the simplest outwardly may perhaps