He wanted
to see him humbled, abandoned by his friends, lonely and poor; and
then--!
Beyond that he really did not like to speculate; for at this point
feelings stirred within him which he would not acknowledge.
He WOULD hate his former friend; he WOULD have revenge for all the
coldness and neglect which had been his own lot in life; and every
time the least thought in defence of Alphonse arose in his mind he
pushed it aside, and said, like the old banker, "Sentiment won't
do for a business man."
One day he went to his tailor's; he bought more clothes in these
days than he absolutely needed.
The nimble little man at once ran to meet turn with a roll of
cloth: "See, here is the very stuff for you. Monsieur Alphonse has
had a whole suit made of it, and Monsieur Alphonse is a gentleman
who knows how to dress."
"I did not think that Monsieur Alphonse was one of your favorite
customers," said Charles, rather taken by surprise.
"Oh, mon Dieu!" exclaimed the little tailor, "you mean because I
have once or twice mentioned that Monsieur Alphonse owed me a few
thousand francs. It was very stupid of me to speak so. Monsieur
Alphonse has not only paid me the trifle he was owing, but I know
that he has also satisfied a number of other creditors. I have
done ce cher beau monsieur great injustice, and I beg you never to
give him a hint of my stupidity."
Charles was no longer listening to the chatter of the garrulous
tailor.
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