Since his departure he had never spent a day’s furlough at Plassans, his brother having invented a thousand pretexts to keep him at a distance.  He was therefore completely ignorant of the adroit manner in which Pierre had got possession of their mother’s fortune.  Adelaide, with her profound indifference, did not even write to him three times to tell him how she was going on.  The silence which generally greeted his numerous requests for money did not awaken the least suspicion in him; Pierre’s stinginess sufficed to explain the difficulty he experienced in securing from time to time a paltry twenty-franc piece.  This, however, only increased his animosity towards his brother, who left him to languish in military service in spite of his formal promise to purchase his discharge.  He vowed to himself that on his return home he would no longer submit like a child, but would flatly demand his share of the fortune to enable him to live as he pleased.  In the diligence which conveyed him home he dreamed of a delightful life of idleness.  The shattering of his castles in the air was terrible.  When he reached the Faubourg, and could no longer even recognise the Fouques’ plot of ground, he was stupefied.  He was compelled to ask for his mother’s new address.  There a terrible scene occurred.  Adelaide calmly informed him of the sale of the property.  He flew into a rage, and even raised his hand against her.

The poor woman kept repeating:  “Your brother has taken everything; it is understood that he will take care of you.”

At last he left her and ran off to see Pierre, whom he had previously informed of his return, and who was prepared to receive him in such a way as to put an end to the matter at the first word of abuse.

“Listen,” the oil-dealer said to him, affecting distant coldness; “don’t rouse my anger, or I’ll turn you out.  As a matter of fact, I don’t know you.  We don’t bear the same name.  It’s quite misfortune enough for me that my mother misconducted herself, without having her offspring coming here and insulting me.  I was well disposed towards you, but since you are insolent I shall do nothing for you, absolutely nothing.”

Antoine was almost choking with rage.

“And what about my money,” he cried; “will you give it up, you thief, or shall I have to drag you before the judges?”

Pierre shrugged his shoulders.

“I’ve got no money of yours,” he replied, more calmly than ever.  “My mother disposed of her fortune as she thought proper.  I am certainly not going to poke my nose into her business.  I willingly renounced all hope of inheritance.  I am quite safe from your foul accusations.”

And as his brother, exasperated by this composure, and not knowing what to think, muttered something, Pierre thrust Adelaide’s receipt under his nose.  The reading of this scrap of paper completed Antoine’s dismay.

“Very well,” he said, in a calmer voice, “I know now what I have to do.”