"Oh, no, madame; six thousand francs at a rough guess."

"A rough guess!" exclaimed Madame Birotteau. "Monsieur, I entreat you,
begin nothing without an estimate and the specifications signed. I
know the ways of contractors: six thousand francs means twenty
thousand. We are not in a position to commit such extravagance. I beg
you, monsieur,--though of course my husband is master in his own
house,--give him time to reflect."

"Madame, monsieur the deputy-mayor has ordered me to deliver the
premises, all finished, in twenty days. If we delay, you will be
likely to incur the expense without obtaining the looked-for result."

"There are expenses and expenses," said the handsome mistress of "The
Queen of Roses."

"Ah! madame, do you think an architect who seeks to put up public
buildings finds it glorious to decorate a mere appartement? I have
come down to such details merely to oblige Monsieur de la Billardiere;
and if you fear--"

Here he made a movement to retreat.

"Well, well, monsieur," said Constance re-entering her daughter's
room, where she threw her head on Cesarine's shoulder.

"Ah, my daughter!" she cried, "your father will ruin himself! He has
engaged an architect with mustachios, who talks about public
buildings! He is going to pitch the house out of windows and build us
a Louvre. Cesar is never idle about his follies; he only spoke to me