“AsIwassaying,”theOtherProfessorresumed,“ifyou’lljustthinkoveranyPoem,thatcontainsthewords—suchas ‘Peterispoor,’saidnoblePaul, ‘AndIhavealwaysbeenhisfriend: And,thoughmymeanstogivearesmall, Howfew,inthiscoldageofgreed, Dogood,exceptonselfishgrounds! ButIcanfeelforPeter’sneed, AndIWILLLENDHIMFIFTYPOUNDS!’ HowgreatwasPeter’sjoytofind Hisfriendinsuchagenialvein! Howcheerfullythebondhesigned, ‘Weca’n’t,’saidPaul,‘betooprecise: So,byalearnedfriend’sadvice, I’vemadeitNoon,theFourthofMay. ButthisisApril!Petersaid. ‘TheFirstofApril,asIthink. Fivelittleweekswillsoonbefled: Onescarcelywillhavetimetowink! Tobuyandsell—todriveatrade—’ SaidPaul‘Icannotchangethedate. OnMaytheFourthitmustbepaid.’ ‘Well,well!’saidPeter,withasigh. ‘Handmethecash,andIwillgo. I’llformaJoint-StockCompany, Andturnanhonestpoundorso.’ ‘I’mgrieved,’saidPaul,‘toseemunkind: Themoneyshaltofcoursebelent: So,weekbyweek,poorPetercame Andturnedinheavinessaway; Forstilltheanswerwasthesame, AndnowtheAprilshowersweredry— Thefiveshortweekswerenearlyspent— Yetstillhegottheoldreply, ‘Itisnotquiteconvenient!’ TheFourtharrived,andpunctualPaul Came,withhislegalfriend,atnoon. ‘Ithoughtitbest,’saidhe,‘tocall: Onecannotsettlethingstoosoon.’ PoorPetershudderedindespair: Hisflowinglockshewildlytore: Waslyingallaboutthefloor. Thelegalfriendwasstandingby, Withsuddenpityhalfunmanned: Thetear-droptrembledinhiseye, Thesignedagreementinhishand: Butwhenatlengththelegalsoul Resumeditscustomaryforce, ‘TheLaw,’hesaid,‘weca’n’tcontrol: Pay,ortheLawmusttakeitscourse!’ ThatfatalmorningwhenIcalled! Consider,Peter,whatyoudo! Youwon’tbericherwhenyou’rebald! Thinkyou,byrendingcurlsaway, Tomakeyourdifficultiesless? Forbearthisviolence,Ipray: Youdobutaddtomydistress!’ ‘NotwillinglywouldIinflict,’ SaidPeter,‘onthatnobleheart Oneneedlesspang.Yetwhysostrict? Isthistoactafriendlypart? Topaywhatneverhasbeenlent, Thisstyleofbusinessseemstome LikesomethatinthisAgearefound!’ (Paulblushedinsheerhumility, Andcasthiseyesupontheground) ‘Thisdebtwillsimplyswallowall, Andmakemylifealifeofwoe!’ ‘Nay,nay,nayPeter!’answeredPaul. ‘YoumustnotrailonFortuneso! ‘Youhaveenoughtoeatanddrink: Youarerespectedintheworld: Andatthebarber’s,asIthink, Youoftengetyourwhiskerscurled. ThoughNoblenessyouca’n’tattain “Tistrue,‘saidPeter,’I’malive: Ikeepmystationintheworld: OnceintheweekIjustcontrive Togetmywhiskersoiledandcurled. Mylittleincome’soverspent: Totrenchoncapital,youknow, ‘Butpayyourdebts!’criedhonestPaul. ‘MygentlePeter,payyourdebts! Whatmatterifitswallowsall Thatyoudescribeasyour“assets”? Alreadyyou’reanhourbehind: Itpinchesme—butnevermind! IWILLNOTCHARGEYOUINTEREST!’ ‘Howgood!Howgreat!’poorPetercried. ‘YetImustsellmySundaywig— Thescarf-pinthathasbeenmypride— Fullsoonhispropertytookwings: Anddaily,aseachtreasurewent, Hesighedtofindthestateofthings Growlessandlessconvenient. Weeksgrewtomonths,andmonthstoyears: Peterwasworntoskinandbone: Andonceheevensaid,withtears, ‘Remember,Paul,thatpromisedLoan!’ SaidPaul’I’lllendyou,whenIcan, AllthesparemoneyIhavegot— Ah,Peter,you’reahappyman! ‘I’mgettingstout,asyoumaysee: Inlisteningtothedinner-bell: Butyou,yougambollikeaboy, Yourfigureissospareandlight: Thedinner-bell’sanoteofjoy AndyethowgladlycouldIspare SomeofthecomfortsIpossess! Whatyoucallhealthyappetite IfeelasHunger’ssavagetooth: And,whennodinnerisinsight, Thedinner-bell’sasoundofruth! ‘Noscare-crowwouldacceptthiscoat: Suchbootsastheseyouseldomsee. Ah,Paul,asinglefive-pound-note Wouldmakeanothermanofme!’ SaidPaul‘Itfillsmewithsurprise Tohearyoutalkinsuchatone: Theblessingsthatareallyourown! ‘You’resafefrombeingoverfed: You’resweetlypicturesqueinrags: Youneverknowtheachinghead Thatcomesalongwithmoney-bags: Andyouhavetimetocultivate Thatbestofqualities,Content— Forwhichyou’llfindyourpresentstate SaidPeter‘ThoughIcannotsound Thedepthsofsuchamanasyou, YetinyourcharacterI’vefound Youseemtohavelongyearstospare Whenthere’sapromisetofulfill: Incallingwiththatlittlebill!’ ‘Onecan’tbetoodeliberate,’ SaidPaul,‘inpartingwithone’spelf. Withbills,asyoucorrectlystate, Amanmaysurelyclaimhisdues: But,whenthere’smoneytobelent, Amanmustbeallowedtochoose Suchtimesasareconvenient!’ Itchancedoneday,asPetersat Gnawingacrust—hisusualmeal— Paulbustledintohaveachat, Andgraspedhishandwithfriendlyzeal. ‘Iknew,’saidhe,‘yourfrugalways: So,thatImightnotwoundyourpride Bybringingstrangersintogaze, I’veleftmylegalfriendoutside! ‘Youwellremember,Iamsure, Whenfirstyourwealthbegantogo, Andpeoplesneeredatonesopoor, Andwhenyou’dlostyourlittleall, Andfoundyourselfathingdespised, ‘ThentheadviceI’vepouredonyou, Allgivengratis,though‘tistrue Imighthavefairlychargedforit! ButIrefrainfrommentioning FullmanyadeedImightrelate Forboastingisakindofthing ‘Howvastthetotalsumappears OfallthekindnessesI’vedone, FromChildhood’shalf-forgottenyears DowntothatLoanofAprilOne! ThatFiftyPounds!Youlittleguessed Howdeepitdrainedmyslenderstore: Butthere’saheartwithinthisbreast, AndIWILLLENDYOUFIFTYMORE!’ ‘Notso,’wasPeter’smildreply, Hischeeksallwetwithgratefultears; Yourservicesinbygoneyears: Wouldnotbequiteconvenient!’ You’llseeinamomentwhatthedifferenceisbetween‘convenient’and‘inconvenient.’ Youquiteunderstanditnow,don’tyou?” headded,lookingkindlyatBruno,whowassitting,atSylvie’sside,onthefloor. “Yes,”saidBruno,veryquietly.Suchashortspeechwasveryunusual,forhim:butjustthenheseemed,Ifancied,alittleexhausted. Infact,heclimbedupintoSylvie’slapashespoke,andrestedhisheadagainsthershoulder.“Whatamanyversesitwas!”hewhispered. 
