"
At this thought, she shot a glance at her mother which flamed with
courage.
"Clear away," said Grandet to Nanon when, about eleven o'clock,
breakfast was over, "but leave the table. We can spread your little
treasure upon it," he said, looking at Eugenie. "Little? Faith! no; it
isn't little. You possess, in actual value, five thousand nine hundred
and fifty-nine francs and the forty I gave you just now. That makes
six thousand francs, less one. Well, now see here, little one! I'll
give you that one franc to make up the round number. Hey! what are you
listening for, Nanon? Mind your own business; go and do your work."
Nanon disappeared.
"Now listen, Eugenie; you must give me back your gold. You won't
refuse your father, my little girl, hein?"
The two women were dumb.
"I have no gold myself. I had some, but it is all gone. I'll give you
in return six thousand francs in _livres_, and you are to put them
just where I tell you. You mustn't think anything more about your
'dozen.' When I marry you (which will be soon) I shall get you a
husband who can give you the finest 'dozen' ever seen in the
provinces. Now attend to me, little girl. There's a fine chance for
you; you can put your six thousand francs into government funds, and
you will receive every six months nearly two hundred francs interest,
without taxes, or repairs, or frost, or hail, or floods, or anything
else to swallow up the money. Perhaps you don't like to part with your
gold, hey, my girl? Never mind, bring it to me all the same.
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