Do you know that, to obtain the favor I propose to you gratis, some of the princes of the blood have offered me as much as fifty thousand francs." "Really! he must be worth seeing, then ?" "Forbidden fruit, my lord; forbidden fruit.

You who belong to the church ought to know that." "Well, if had any curiosity, it would be to see the poor author of the distich." "Very well, we will see him, too; but if I were at all curious, it would be about the beautiful carpeted room and its lodger." "Furniture is very commonplace; and a face with no expression in it offers little or no interest." "But a boarder at fifteen francs is always interesting." "By the by, I forgot to ask you about that.

Why fifteen francs for him, and only three francs for poor Seldon ?" "The distinction made in that instance was a truly noble act, and one which displayed the king's goodness of heart to great advantage." "The king's, you say." "The cardinal's, I mean.

'This unhappy man,' said M.Mazarin, 'is destined to remain in prison forever.'" "Why so ?" "Why, it seems that his crime is a lasting one; and, consequently, his punishment ought to be so, too." "Lasting ?" "No doubt of it, unless he is fortunate enough to catch the small-pox, and even that is difficult, for we never get any impure air here." "Nothing can be more ingenious than your train of reasoning, my dear M.
Baisemeaux.

Do you, however, mean to say that this unfortunate man must suffer without interruption or termination ?" "I did not say he was to suffer, my lord; a fifteen-franc boarder does not suffer." "He suffers imprisonment, at all events." "No doubt; there is no help for that, but this suffering is sweetened for him.