"All the Gros Bonnets of the Grand Company
have gone down this afternoon! I suppose you are going too, Des
Meloises?"
"Yes! They have sent for me, you see, on affairs of State--what
Penisault calls 'business.' Not a drop of wine on the board!
Nothing but books and papers, bills and shipments, money paid, money
received! Doit et avoir and all the cursed lingo of the Friponne!
I damn the Friponne, but bless her money! It pays, Monredin! It
pays better than fur-trading at a lonely outpost in the northwest."
The Chevalier jingled a handful of coin in his pocket. The sound
was a sedative to his disgust at the idea of trade, and quite
reconciled him to the Friponne.
"You are a lucky dog nevertheless, to be able to make it jingle!"
said Monredin, "not one of us Bearnois can play an accompaniment to
your air of money in both pockets. Here is our famous Regiment of
Bearn, second to none in the King's service, a whole year in arrears
without pay! Gad! I wish I could go into 'business,' as you call
it, and woo that jolly dame, La Friponne!
"For six months we have lived on trust.
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