“I haven’t the least idea.”

Sauvresy provided himself with a pencil and a large sheet of paper, ready to set down the figures.  He seemed a little surprised.

“All right,” said he, “we’ll put x down as the unknown quantity of the assets:  now for the liabilities.”

Hector made a superbly disdainful gesture.

“Don’t know, I’m sure, what they are.”

“What, can’t you give a rough guess?”

“Oh, perhaps.  For instance, I owe between five and six hundred thousand francs to Clair & Co., five hundred thousand to Dervoy; about as much to Dubois, of Orleans—­”

“Well?”

“I can’t remember any more.”

“But you must have a memorandum of your loans somewhere?”

“No.”

“You have at least kept your bonds, bills, and the sums of your various debts?”

“None of them.  I burnt up all my papers yesterday.”

Sauvresy jumped up from his chair in astonishment; such a method of doing business seemed to him monstrous; he could not suppose that Hector was lying.  Yet he was lying, and this affectation of ignorance was a conceit of the aristocratic man of the world.  It was very noble, very distingue, to ruin one’s self without knowing how!

“But, my dear fellow,” cried Sauvresy, “how can we clear up your affairs?”

“Oh, don’t clear them up at all; do as I do—­let the creditors act as they please, they will know how to settle it all, rest assured; let them sell out my property.”

“Never!  Then you would be ruined, indeed!”

“Well, it’s only a little more or a little less.”

“What splendid disinterestedness!” thought Bertha; “what coolness, what admirable contempt of money, what noble disdain of the petty details which annoy common people!  Was Sauvresy capable of all this?”

She could not at least accuse him of avarice, since for her he was as prodigal as a thief; he had never refused her anything; he anticipated her most extravagant fancies.  Still he had a strong appetite for gain, and despite his large fortune, he retained the hereditary respect for money.  When he had business with one of his farmers, he would rise very early, mount his horse, though it were mid-winter, and go several leagues in the snow to get a hundred crowns.  He would have ruined himself for her if she had willed it, this she was convinced of; but he would have ruined himself economically, in an orderly way.

Sauvresy reflected.

“You are right,” said he to Hector, “your creditors ought to know your exact position.  Who knows that they are not acting in concert?  Their simultaneous refusal to lend you a hundred thousand makes me suspect it.  I will go and see them.”

“Clair & Co., from whom I received my first loans, ought to be the best informed.”

“Well, I will see Clair & Co.  But look here, do you know what you would do if you were reasonable?”