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Updated: June 20, 2025
"Judging from your long face, Master Twenty-per-cent, one would fancy you doubted my success," he said. "It is always best to doubt," replied his adviser, philosophically. The marquis shrugged his shoulders. "Even when one has triumphed over all obstacles?" he asked sneeringly. "Yes." "Then, tell me, if you please, what prevents this marriage from being a foregone conclusion?"
"What do you take me for, Master Twenty-per-cent?" he rudely asked. "That is one of those things no well-bred gentleman will do himself. But in Paris people can be found to do any kind of dirty work, if you are willing to pay them for it." "Then how will you know the result?" "Why, twenty minutes after the affair is over, M. de Coralth will be at my house. He is there even now, perhaps."
According as his humor was good or bad, he called him "my dear extortioner," "Mons. Fortunat," or "Master Twenty-per-cent." But though these sneers and insults drove the obsequious smile from M. Fortunat's lips, he was quite capable of including them in the bill under the head of sundries.
Cheprakov, who bought it from the engineer after haggling him into a twenty-per-cent reduction in the price. Moissey walks about in a bowler hat; he often drives into town in a trap and stops outside the bank. People say he has already bought an estate on a mortgage, and is always inquiring at the bank about Dubechnia, which he also intends to buy.
Indeed, as soon as he was alone with M. Fortunat, he began: "So this is the way you betray your friends, Master Twenty-per-Cent! Why did you deceive me last night about the ten thousand francs you had promised me? Why didn't you tell me the truth? You knew of the misfortune that had befallen M. de Chalusse. I heard of it first scarcely an hour ago through a letter from Madame Leon."
"Yes, Monsieur Twenty-per-Cent. Let her become my wife, and the very next day I will place her in possession of an income of a hundred and fifty thousand francs. But she must marry me first; and this scornful maiden will not grant me her hand unless I can convince her of my love and disinterestedness." "But your rival?" M. de Valorsay gave a nervous start, but quickly controlled himself.
"YOU give me this advice, Master Twenty-per-cent. This is wonderful! How long is it since your opinions have undergone such a change?" "My opinions?" "Yes. Didn't you say to me during our first interview; 'The thing that will save you, is that you have never in your whole life borrowed a louis from a friend.
We exchanged our word of honor, Master Twenty-per-cent. The count does things in a princely fashion; he gives Mademoiselle Marguerite two millions." "Two millions!" the other repeated like an echo. "Yes, my dear miser, neither more nor less. Only for private reasons, which he did not explain, the count stipulates that only two hundred thousand francs shall appear in the marriage contract.
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