"No?" he asked. "Eet will not do?"
"No," said Rushford, slowly; "I'm afraid it won't do. You see it would
be a kind of ex post facto proceeding--"
"A--I ton't quite comprehen', monsieur."
"No matter--trust me--see what's happened since yesterday," and he
waved his hand at the busy corridor.
"Oh, eet iss kolossal!" cried Pelletan. "I shall nefer cease to atmire
monsieur. Perhaps," he suggested timidly, "since he hass peen so
successful, monsieur may pe tempted to remain permanently. Surely he
would pe one great success! In a year--two year--we would eclipse
Ostend--monsieur himself hass said eet!"
"No," laughed the other, "I don't think I'd care to remain. Though, of
course," he added, "the possibility of great success is always
fascinating."
"Oh, eet iss more t'an a possibility," cried Pelletan. "Eet is a
certainty."
"A certainty is not so fascinating as a possibility," the American
pointed out, his eyes twinkling.
"Unt t'en," continued Pelletan, persuasively, fancying, no doubt, that
he saw some signs of yielding in his partner's face, "eef monsieur
remains, he can haf t'e house done ofer to suit heem; he can t'row away
t'e furniture he does not like; he can paint out t'e marble columns; he
can cause all t'e servants to pe tressed to hees taste. He would make
one grand sensation! T'e house would pe t'e talk of Europe, tint we
would soon pe reech--oh, reech!" and the little Frenchman stretched his
arms wide to indicate the vast extent of the wealth that was awaiting
them.
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