Volume I Part 48 (2/2)
”How did you ever allow yourself to fall to such a low condition?”
”How did I allow myself to fall! ah! that's a good one, little sister!
the dear sister, who don't throw her arms round her dear brother's neck.
Look you, that isn't pretty of you; for, after all, I'm your brother, my dear love, and what's more, your senior, which gives me something very like the rights of a father or an uncle over you!”
”You have rights over me! I don't advise you to repeat that.”
”Come, come, let's not get waxy, t.i.tine--for your name used to be t.i.tine, you know; you twisted that into Thelenie, and you did well, for Thelenie's more melodious, it sounds better to the ear. You see that if I had a swell apartment, like you, and a bully lot of togs, instead of calling myself just Croque, I'd take the name of Croquinosky or Croquignolle; but unluckily I haven't got so far as that. You ask me what I've been doing these five years. Bless my soul! my dear love, I couldn't come out, I was in the background.”
”Ah! you have been in prison?”
”Something very like it.”
”For debt?”
”A little for debt, and for something else too--an unfortunate affair--a theft of s.h.i.+rts in which I was mixed up, although I was most innocent.”
”Innocent! you! that is hardly probable.”
”Ah! you are as amiable as ever! you doubt your little brother's probity!”
”Because I know what you are capable of!”
”You know--or you don't know; that's a question. I don't say that I won't put you in a way to solve it some day; that will depend on the way you behave toward Bibi!”
”What do you mean? Is that a threat?”
”Oh, no! I never threaten. Come, come! a fellow laughs and jests a bit, and you flare up right away! I should have supposed that wealth would make people more amiable.”
”Wealth! why, I have no wealth; I have enough to live on and no more.”
”Oh! I expected that; you haven't got any money, and you live in a magnificent apartment, you have splendid furniture and servants at your beck and call, you're dressed like a stage princess.”
”What does all that prove? You know well enough that in Paris a person can make a great show without being rich; that sometimes all this display serves simply to cover up debts and straitened circ.u.mstances.”
”Yes, yes; and another thing I know is that this is no furnished lodging house, and, that being so, you have your own furniture; that everything I see is yours; and look--with nothing but that clock and those candelabra on the mantelpiece, I could get enough to fit myself out new and go on a good long spree.”
Thelenie contracted her black eyebrows and made an impatient gesture.
”Come,” she cried, ”tell me what you want of me? Why have you come here?”
Monsieur Croque lounged easily on the couch and replied, smoothing his beard:
”Oh! you have a shrewd idea, little sister; I won't insult you by thinking that you haven't guessed. After all, isn't it perfectly natural? Your brother is unlucky, he hasn't a sou, he's wretchedly dressed, as you justly observed just now, and it's hard on one's self-esteem to go out in the street like this! But this brother has a sister who is in very happy, fortunate circ.u.mstances. I don't say she's a millionaire; dear me, no! that would be too grand! but she has enough to dress very stylishly. Well, then; she can't let her brother go in rags. Of course not! that wouldn't be decent! And so this brother goes to see his sister and says to her: 'You've got money, and I haven't; give me some of what you have; I won't give you any of what I have because I have nothing, but I'll bear your image in my heart.'--How's that? do you get my meaning now?”
”Oh, yes! I knew well enough that it was money you wanted.”
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