“You are not exact,” replied Law, calmly.  “I have not your money, nor yet have I stolen it.  If you have suffered by this foolish panic, you do not mend matters by thus treating me.  By heaven, you go the wrong way to get anything from me!  Out of the way, you canaille!  Do you think to frighten me?  I made your city.  I made you all Now, do you think to frighten me, John Law?”

“Oh!  You would go away, you want to escape!” cried the voices of those near at hand.  “We will see as to that!”

Again they fell upon the carriage, and still they hemmed him in the closer.

“True, I am going away,” said Law.  “But you can not say that I tried to steal away without your knowing it.  There, up the stairs, are my papers.  You will see in time that I have concealed nothing.  Now I am going to leave Paris, it is true; but not because I am afraid to stay here.  ’Tis for other reason, and reason of mine own.”

“’Twas you who ruined Paris—­this city which you now seek to leave!” shrieked the dame who had spoken before, still shaking her useless bank-notes in her hand.

“Oh, very well, my friend.  For the argument, let us agree upon that,” said Law.

“You ruined our Company, our beautiful Company!” cried another.

“Certainly.  Since I was the originator of it, that follows as matter of reason,” replied Law.

“Ah, he admits it!  He admits it!” cried yet another.  “Don’t let him escape.  Kill him!  Down with Jean L’as!”

“We are going to kill you precisely here!” cried a huge fellow, brandishing a paving-stone before his eyes.  “You are not fit to live.”

“As to that,” said Law, “I agree with you perfectly.  My hand upon it; I am not fit to live.  I have found that I made mistakes.  I have found that there is nothing left to desire.  I have found out that all this money is not worth the having.  I have found out so many things, my very dear friends, that I quite agree with you.  For if one must want to live before he is fit to live, then indeed I am not fit.  But what then?”

“Kill him!  Kill him!  Strike him down!” cried out a voice back of the giant with the menacing paving-stone.

“Oh, very well, my friends,” resumed the object of their fury, flicking again with his old, careless gesture at the deep cuff of his wrist.  “As you like in regard to that.  More than one man has offered me that happiness in the past, yet it was many a long year since, any man could trouble me by announcing that he was about to kill me.”

Something in the attitude of the man stayed the hands of the most dangerous members of the mob.  Yet ever there came the cry from back of them.  “Down with Jean L’as!  He has ruined everything!”

“Friends,” responded Law to this cry, bitterly, “you little know how true you speak.  It was indeed John Law who brought ruin to everything.  It was indeed he who threw away what was worth more than all the gold in France.  It is indeed he who has failed, and failed most utterly.  You can not frighten John Law, but you may do as you like with him, for surely he has failed!”