"Bah! You give what you can. One does not go back across the
Niemen for pleasure. We bargained, and we came to terms. I got as
much as I could."
Louis laughed, as if this were the blunt truth.
"If I had more, I would give you more. It is the money I placed in
a Dantzig bank for my cousin. I must take it out again, that is
all."
The last words were addressed to Desiree, as if he had acted in
assurance of her approval.
"But I have more," she said; "a little--not very much. We must not
think of money. We must do everything to find him--to give him
help, if he needs it."
"Yes," answered Louis, as if she had asked him a question. "We must
do everything; but I have no more money."
"And I have none with me. I have nothing that I can sell."
She withdrew her fur mitten and held out her hand, as if to show
that she had no rings, except the plain gold one on her third
finger.
"You have the ikon I brought you from Moscow," said Barlasch
gruffly. "Sell that."
"No," answered Desiree; "I will not sell that."
Barlasch laughed cynically.
"There you have a woman," he said, turning to Louis. "First she
will not have a thing, then she will not part with it."
"Well," said Desiree, with some spirit, "a woman may know her own
mind."
"Some do," admitted Barlasch carelessly; "the happy ones. And since
you will not sell your ikon, I must go for what Monsieur le
capitaine offers me.
"Five hundred francs," said Louis.
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