“Yes, but see here, Monsieur Dionis,” cried Cremiere, whose wife had been nudging him, “if the good man took the thing seriously and married his goddaughter to Desire, giving her the reversion of all the property, good-by to our share in it; if he lives five years longer uncle may be worth a million.”

“Never!” cried Zelie, “never in my life shall Desire marry the daughter of a bastard, a girl picked up in the streets out of charity.  My son will represent the Minorets after the death of his uncle, and the Minorets have five hundred years of good bourgeoisie behind them.  That’s equal to the nobility.  Don’t be uneasy, any of you; Desire will marry when we find a chance to put him in the Chamber of deputies.”

This lofty declaration was backed by Goupil, who said:—­

“Desire, with an allowance of twenty-four thousand francs a year, will be president of a royal court or solicitor-general; either office leads to the peerage.  A foolish marriage would ruin him.”

The heirs were now all talking at once; but they suddenly held their tongues when Minoret rapped on the table with his fist to keep silence for the notary.

“Your uncle is a worthy man,” continued Dionis.  “He believes he’s immortal; and, like most clever men, he’ll let death overtake him before he has made a will.  My advice therefore is to induce him to invest his capital in a way that will make it difficult for him to disinherit you, and I know of an opportunity, made to hand.  That little Portenduere is in Saint-Pelagie, locked-up for one hundred and some odd thousand francs’ worth of debt.  His old mother knows he is in prison; she is crying like a Magdalen.  The abbe is to dine with her; no doubt she wants to talk to him about her troubles.  Well, I’ll go and see your uncle to-night and persuade him to sell his five per cent consols, which are now at 118, and lend Madame de Portenduere, on the security of her farm at Bordieres and her house here, enough to pay the debts of the prodigal son.  I have a right as notary to speak to him in behalf of young Portenduere; and it is quite natural that I should wish to make him change his investments; I get deeds and commissions out of the business.  If I become his adviser I’ll propose to him other land investments for his surplus capital; I have some excellent ones now in my office.  If his fortune were once invested in landed estate or in mortgage notes in this neighbourhood, it could not take wings to itself very easily.  It is easy to make difficulties between the wish to realize and the realization.”

The heirs, struck with the truth of this argument (much cleverer than that of Monsieur Josse), murmured approval.

“You must be careful,” said the notary in conclusion, “to keep your uncle in Nemours, where his habits are known, and where you can watch him.  Find him a lover for the girl and you’ll prevent his marrying her himself.”

“Suppose she married the lover?” said Goupil, seized by an ambitious desire.