Page:The Bohemians of the Latin Quarter.djvu/182

Benoît, let us come to a settlement, it is all the same to me to-day as to-morrow. Besides we are all mortal. Let us come to a settlement.”

An amiable smile smoothed the landlord’s wrinkles and even his empty bag swelled with hope.

“What do I owe you?” asked Rodolphe.

“In the first place, we have three months’ rent at twenty-five francs, that makes seventy-five francs.”

“Errors excepted,” said Rodolphe. “And then?”

“Then three pairs of boots at twenty francs.”

“One moment, one moment, Monsieur Benoît, do not let us mix matters, this is no longer to do with the landlord but the bootmaker. I want a separate account. Accounts are a serious thing, we must not get muddled.”

“Very good,” said Monsieur Benoît, softened by the hope of at length writing “Paid” at the foot of his accounts. “Here is a special bill for the boots. Three pairs of boots at twenty francs, sixty francs.”

Rodolphe cast a look of pity on a pair of worn-out boots.

“Alas!” he thought, “they could not be worse if they had been worn by the Wandering Jew. Yet it was in running after Marie that they got so worn out.—Go on, Monsieur Benoît.”

“We were saying sixty francs,” replied the latter. “Then money lent, twenty-seven francs.”

“Stop a bit, Monsieur Benoît. We agreed that each dog should have his kennel. It is as a friend that you lent me money. Therefore, if you please, let us quit the regions of bootmaking and enter those of confidence and friendship which require a separate account. How much does your friendship for me amount to?”

“Twenty-seven francs.”

“Twenty-seven francs. You have purchased a friend cheaply, Monsieur Benoît. In short, we were saying,