Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-06-28
TIE nIsER's DAUGHTER
CHAPTER x.-eContinned
By HONRE DE BALzAc

Of course my DID, brothers n-n-name
name was Grandet-th~that is certain
sure; l d-d-don't deny it-and, anyhow.
this l-l-l-liquidation would be a very
g-good thing for my n-n-nephew in every
way, and am very f-f-fond Of him. But
we shall see. / know n-n-nothing of
those sharpers in PParis, and their
tricks. And here am | at S-Saumur,
you see. There are my vine-cuttings,
m-my d-d-draining-in sh-sh-short, there
are my own affairs, to s-s-see after.
have n-n-never accepted bill. What
Is bill? | have t-t-taken many one,
b-b-but l have n-n-never put my nm
name to piece of p-paper. You t-t-take
EN- and you can d-d-discount 'em, and
that is all know. l have heard s-s-say
that you can b-b-buy them"
Yes" assented the president; you
can buy bills on the market, less so much
per cent. Do you understand
Grandet held his hand to his ear and
the president repeated his remark
But it s-s-seems there are t-t-two
s-sides to all this replied the vine grow
er. "At my age, / know n-n-n-nothing
about this s-s-s-sort of thing. / must
s-stop here to Hook after the g-g-grapes,
the vines d-d-don't stand still, and the
g-g- grapes have to p-pay for everything.
Then ! have a great d-d-deal on my
hands at Froidfond that l can't p-p-pos-
sibly l-l-leave TO any one else. / don't
underst-t-tand a word of all this; ii is a
p-p-pretty kettle Of fish; can't l-l-leave
home to s-see after it. You s-s-ssay that
to bring about a l--l-liquidation l ought
to be in Paris. Now, you can't be in
t-t-tow p-p-places at once unless you are
a b-b-b-bird."
Il see what you mean" cried the no
tary. Well my old friend, you have
friends, friends Of long standing ready
to do great deal for you"
Come, noww said the vine grower to
himself, so you are making up your
minds are your
And If some one were to go to Paris,
and find your brother Guillaume's largest
creditor, and say to him
Here just ll-listen to me a moment"
the cooper struck in. Say to him
whatf Ss-something like this: M. Gran
det of Saumur th-this, NJ. Grandet of
Saumur th-th-that. He l-l-loves his broth
er, he has a r-r-regard for his n-nephew;
Grandet thinks a l-l-lot Of his f-family,
he means to DIDO we'll by them. He has
just s-s-sold his vintage uncommonly
well. Don't drive the thing into b-b-b-
bankruptcy, call a meeting of the credit
ors, and appoint l-l-liquidators. Then
s-s-ee what Grandet will do. You will
do a great d-deal b-b-better for your
selves by coming to an arrangement than
by i--letting the ll-lawyers poke their
noses into it That is how it is, eh %
Quite SOL" said the president.
Because, look here, Monsieur de Bon
fons, you must l-l-look before you l-l-leep.
And you can't DIDO more than you can.
A big affair like this wants l-l-look-
Ing into, or you may ru-ru-ruin yourself
That is so. isn't it. eh?''
Certainly" said the president. Il
myself am of the opinion that in a few
months time you could buy up the debts
for fixed sum and pay by installments.
Aha! you can trail a dog a long way with
a bit of bacon. When a man has not
been declared bankrupt, as soon as the
bills are in your hands, you will be as
white as snow"
"As s-s-s-snowT said Grandet, hold
ing his hand to his ear. "S-s-s-snow?
l don't underst t-tand."
"Why, then, just listen to mer' cried
the president "A bill of exchange is a
commodity subject to fluctuations in
value. This is a. deduction from Jeremy
Benthams theory of interest. He was a
publicist who showed conclusively that
the prejudices entertained against money
lenders were irrational"
BLESS meP' put in Grandet
"And seeing that, according to Ben
than. money itself is a commodity, and
that that which money represents is no
less q commodity" the president went
on; land since il is obvious that the com
modify called g bill Of exchange is sub
ject to the same laws of supply and de-
mand that control production of all
kinds, a bill of exchange bearing this
or that signature, like this or that arti-
Gle of commerce, is scarce or plentiful
In the market, commands a high premi-
um or is worth nothing at all. Where
fore, l am of the opinion that you could
easily buy up your brothers debts for
twenty-five per cent of their value and
in law, IL you hold all the outstanding
bills of the firm of Grandet, your broth
er, his heirs and assigns, would owe no
one a penny"
True" suffered the cooper, "b-b-busi-
ness is business. So that is s-s-settled.
But, for all that, you understand that it
is d-d-dificult matter. / have not the
MN money, nor have l the t-t-time, nor
-
Eyes. yes; you cannot be at the trou-
BILE. Well. now, 1 will go to Paris for
you If you like; you must stand the ex-
pense of the journey, that Is a mere
trifie. l will see the creditors, and talk
TO them, and put them off; it can all be
arranged; you will be prepared TO add
something TO the amount realized by the
liquidation so as to get the bills into
your hands"
1--WE shall s-see about that; 1 cannot
and will not undertake anything un
less know. You can't dido more than
you can, you know"
"Quite so, quite So
And l am quite bewildered with all
these head-splitting ideas that you have
sprung upon me. Th-this is the f-f-frst
thine in my life that l hav, had to
th-th-think about such things. l am
p-p-poor vine grower. and | know nm
nothing about what you have just t-t-toid
me; / m-mmust th-think it all out"