Monsieur Barillaud was very right,' thought I, 'in all he told me!'"Monsieur Alain paused reflectively.
"Yes," he said again, "I thought him very right in all he told me.At last, one morning, in came my debtor, no more embarrassed than if he didn't owe me a sou.When I saw him I felt all the shame he ought to have felt.I was like a criminal taken in the act; I was all upset.
The eighteenth Brumaire had just taken place.Public affairs were doing well, the Funds had gone up.Bonaparte was off to fight the battle of Marengo.'It is unfortunate, monsieur,' I said, receiving Mongenod standing, 'that I owe your visit to a sheriff's summons.'
Mongenod took a chair and sat down.'I came to tell you,' he said, 'that I am totally unable to pay you.' 'You made me miss a fine investment before the election of the First Consul,--an investment which would have given me a little fortune.' 'I know it, Alain,' he said, 'I know it.But what is the good of suing me and crushing me with bills of costs? I have nothing with which to pay anything.
Lately I received letters from my wife and father-in-law; they have bought land with the money you lent me, and they send me a list of things they need to improve it.Now, unless some one prevents it, Ishall sail on a Dutch vessel from Flushing, whither I have sent the few things I am taking out to them.Bonaparte has won the battle of Marengo, peace will be signed, I may safely rejoin my family; and Ihave need to, for my dear little wife is about to give birth to a child.' 'And so you have sacrificed me to your own interests?' said I.