"Yes; rich as rich can be--like yours."

"It seems to me," Finot began stiffly, "that some consideration is
owing to a good fellow to whom you look for a bill for five hundred
francs upon occasion----"

"Waiter!" called Bixiou.

"What do you want with the waiter?" asked Blondet.

"I want five hundred francs to repay Finot, so that I can tear up my
I. O. U. and set my tongue free."

"Get on with your story," said Finot, making believe to laugh.

"I take you all to witness that I am not the property of this insolent
fellow, who fancies that my silence is worth no more than five hundred
francs. You will never be a minister if you cannot gauge people's
consciences. There, my good Finot," he added soothingly, "I will get
on with my story without personalities, and we shall be quits."

"Now," said Couture with a smile, "he will begin to prove for our
benefit that Nucingen made Rastignac's fortune."

"You are not so far out as you think," returned Bixiou. "You do not
know what Nucingen is, financially speaking."

"Do you know so much as a word as to his beginnings?" asked Blondet.