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As soon as the goodman was certain that Charles could hear nothing and
was probably deep in his letter…writing； he said； with a dissimulating
glance at his wife；
〃Madame Grandet； what we have to talk about will be Latin to you； it
is half…past seven； you can go and attend to your household accounts。
Good…night； my daughter。〃
He kissed Eugenie； and the two women departed。 A scene now took place
in which Pere Grandet brought to bear； more than at any other moment
of his life； the shrewd dexterity he had acquired in his intercourse
with men； and which had won him from those whose flesh he sometimes
bit too sharply the nickname of 〃the old dog。〃 If the mayor of Saumur
had carried his ambition higher still； if fortunate circumstances；
drawing him towards the higher social spheres； had sent him into
congresses where the affairs of nations were discussed； and had he
there employed the genius with which his personal interests had
endowed him； he would undoubtedly have proved nobly useful to his
native land。 Yet it is perhaps equally certain that outside of Saumur
the goodman would have cut a very sorry figure。 Possibly there are
minds like certain animals which cease to breed when transplanted from
the climates in which they are born。
〃M…m…mon…sieur le p…p…president； you said t…t…that b…b…bankruptcy〃
The stutter which for years the old miser had assumed when it suited
him； and which； together with the deafness of which he sometimes
complained in rainy weather； was thought in Saumur to be a natural
defect； became at this crisis so wearisome to the two Cruchots that
while they listened they unconsciously made faces and moved their
lips； as if pronouncing the words over which he was hesitating and
stuttering at will。 Here it may be well to give the history of this
impediment of the speech and hearing of Monsieur Grandet。 No one in
Anjou heard better； or could pronounce more crisply the French
language （with an Angevin accent） than the wily old cooper。 Some years
earlier； in spite of his shrewdness； he had been taken in by an
Israelite； who in the course of the discussion held his hand behind
his ear to catch sounds； and mangled his meaning so thoroughly in
trying to utter his words that Grandet fell a victim to his humanity
and was compelled to prompt the wily Jew with the words and ideas he
seemed to seek； to complete himself the arguments of the said Jew； to
say what that cursed Jew ought to have said for himself； in short； to
be the Jew instead of being Grandet。 When the cooper came out of this
curious encounter he had concluded the only bargain of which in the
course of a long commercial life he ever had occasion to complain。 But
if he lost at the time pecuniarily； he gained morally a valuable
lesson； later； he gathered its fruits。 Indeed； the goodman ended by
blessing that Jew for having taught him the art of irritating his
commercial antagonist and leading him to forget his own thoughts in
his impatience to suggest those over which his tormentor was
stuttering。 No affair had ever needed the assistance of deafness；
impediments of speech； and all the incomprehensible circumlocutions
with which Grandet enveloped his ideas； as much as the affair now in
hand。 In the first place； he did not mean to shoulder the
responsibility of his own scheme； in the next； he was determined to
remain master of the conversation and to leave his real intentions in
doubt。
〃M…m…monsieur de B…B…Bonfons；〃for the second time in three years
Grandet called the Cruchot nephew Monsieur de Bonfons； the president
felt he might consider himself the artful old fellow's son…in…law；
〃you…ou said th…th…that b…b…bankruptcy c…c…could； in some c…c…cases；
b…b…be p…p…prevented b…b…by〃
〃By the courts of commerce themselves。 It is done constantly；〃 said
Monsieur C。 de Bonfons； bestriding Grandet's meaning； or thinking he
guessed it； and kindly wishing to help him out with it。 〃Listen。〃
〃Y…yes；〃 said Grandet humbly； with the mischievous expression of a boy
who is inwardly laughing at his teacher while he pays him the greatest
attention。
〃When a man so respected and important as； for example； your late
brother〃
〃M…my b…b…brother； yes。〃
〃is threatened with insolvency〃
〃They c…c…call it in…ins…s…solvency？〃
〃Yes； when his failure is imminent； the court of commerce； to which he
is amenable （please follow me attentively）； has the power； by a
decree； to appoint a receiver。 Liquidation； you understand； is not the
same as failure。 When a man fails； he is dishonored； but when he
merely liquidates； he remains an honest man。〃
〃T…t…that's very d…d…different； if it d…d…doesn't c…c…cost m…m…more；〃
said Grandet。
〃But a liquidation can be managed without having recourse to the
courts at all。 For；〃 said the president； sniffing a pinch of snuff；
〃don't you know how failures are declared？〃
〃N…n…no； I n…n…never t…t…thought；〃 answered Grandet。
〃In the first place；〃 resumed the magistrate； 〃by filing the schedule
in the record office of the court； which the merchant may do himself；
or his representative for him with a power of attorney duly certified。
In the second place； the failure may be declared under compulsion from
the creditors。 Now if the merchant does not file his schedule； and if
no creditor appears before the courts to obtain a decree of insolvency
against the merchant； what happens？〃
〃W…w…what h…h…happens？〃
〃Why； the family of the deceased； his representatives； his heirs； or
the merchant himself； if he is not dead； or his friends if he is only
hiding； liquidate his business。 Perhaps you would like to liquidate
your brother's affairs？〃
〃Ah！ Grandet；〃 said the notary； 〃that would be the right thing to do。
There is honor down here in the provinces。 If you save your namefor
it is your nameyou will be a man〃
〃A noble man！〃 cried the president； interrupting his uncle。
〃Certainly；〃 answered the old man； 〃my b…b…brother's name was
G…G…Grandet； like m…m…mine。 Th…that's c…c…certain； I d…d…don't
d…d…deny it。 And th…th…this l…l…liquidation might be； in m…m…many
ways； v…v…very advan…t…t…tageous t…t…to the interests of m…m…my
n…n…nephew； whom I l…l…love。 But I must consider。 I don't k…k…know the
t…t…tricks of P…P…Paris。 I b…b…belong to Sau…m…mur； d…d…don't you see？
M…m…my vines； my d…d…drainsin short； I've my own b…b…business。 I
never g…g…give n…n…notes。 What are n…n…notes？ I t…t…take a good
m…m…many； but I have never s…s…signed one。 I d…d…don't understand such
things。 I have h…h…heard say that n…n…notes c…c…can be b…b…bought up。〃
〃Of course；〃 said the president。 〃Notes can be bought in the market；
less so much per cent。 Don't you understand？〃
Grandet made an ear…trumpet of his hand； and the president repeated
his words。
〃Well； then；〃 replied the man； 〃there's s…s…something to be g…g…got
out of it？ I k…know n…nothing at my age about such th…th…things。 I
l…l…live here and l…l…look after the v…v…vines。 The vines g…g…grow；
and it's the w…w…wine that p…p…pays。 L…l…look after the v…v…vintage；
t…t…that's my r…r…rule。 My c…c…chief interests are at Froidfond。 I
c…c…can't l…l…leave my h…h…house to m…m…muddle myself with a
d…d…devilish b…b…business I kn…know n…n…nothing about。 You say I ought
to l…l…liquidate my b…b…brother's af…f…fairs； to p…p…prevent the
f…f…failure。 I c…c…can't be in two p…p…places at once； unless I were a
little b…b…bird； and〃
〃I understand；〃 cried the notary。 〃Well； my old friend； you have
friends； old friends； capable of devoting themselves to your
interests。〃
〃All right！〃 thought Grandet； 〃make haste and come to the point！〃
〃Suppose one of them went to Paris and saw your brother Guillaume's
chief creditor and said to him〃
〃One m…m…moment；〃 interrupted the goodman； 〃said wh…wh…what？ Something
l…l…like this。 Monsieur Gr…Grandet of Saumur this； Monsieur Grandet of
Saumur that。 He l…loves his b…b…brother； he loves his n…nephew。
Grandet is a g…g…good uncle； he m…m…means well。 He has sold his
v…v…vintage。 D…d…don't declare a f…f…failure； c…c…call a meeting；
l…l…liquidate； and then Gr…Gr…Grandet will see what he c…c…can do。
B…b…better liquidate than l…let the l…l…law st…st…stick its n…n…nose
in。 Hein？ isn't it so？〃
〃Exactly so；〃 said the president。
〃B…because； don't you see； Monsieur de B…Bonfons； a man must l…l…look
b…b…before he l…leaps。 If you c…c…can't； you c…c…can't。 M…m…must know
all about the m…m…matter； all the resources and the debts； if you
d…d…don't want to be r…r…ruined。 Hein？ isn't it so？〃
〃Certainly；〃 said the president。 〃I'm of opinion that in a few months
the debts might be bought up for a certain sum； and then paid in full
by an agreement。 Ha！ ha！ you can coax a dog a long way if you show him
a bit of lard。 If there has been no declaration of failure； and you
hold a lien on the debts； you come out of the business as white as the
driven snow。〃
〃Sn…n…now；〃 said Grandet； putting his hand to his ear； 〃wh…wh…what
about s…now？〃
〃But；〃 cried the president； 〃do pray attend to what I am saying。〃
〃I am at…t…tending。〃
〃A note is merchandise；an article of barter which rises and falls in
prices。 That is a deduction from Jeremy Bentham's theory about usury。
That writer has proved that t