I wondered why.
Devar attached himself to Alphonse Giraud, whom he led aside under pretext of examining a picture.
"Monsieur Giraud," he then said to him in French, "as a man of affairs I cannot but deplore your heedlessness." He was a much older man than Giraud, and had besides the gift of uttering an impertinence as if under compulsion.
"But, my dear sir--" exclaimed Alphonse.
"Either you do not heed the loss of your fortune or you are blind." "You mean that I cannot trust my friend," said Alphonse.
Mr.Devar spread out his hands in denial of any such meaning.
"Monsieur Giraud," he said, "I am a man of the world, and also a lawyer.

I suppose I am as charitable as my neighbours.

But it is never wise to trust a single man with a large sum of money.

None of us knows his own weakness.

Put not thy neighbour into temptation." Which sounded like Scripture, and doubtless passed as such.