The dealer bowed.

‘But of course, monsieur.’

One of the assistants, unable to contain his laughter, ran off. Another blew his nose loudly.

Ignoring this, Lantin, serious and blushing, said: ‘Then I shall bring them to you.’

He took a fiacre and went to fetch the jewels.

An hour later when he returned with them he had still not eaten. They examined the pieces meticulously one by one, evaluating each in turn. Nearly all were from the dealer’s own firm. As time went on, Lantin began to query the valuations, affected annoyance and made them open the account books for him. As the sum grew larger his voice became louder.

The large diamond earrings were worth 20,000 francs; the bracelets, 35,000; the brooches, rings, medallions and lockets, 16,000; the set of emeralds with sapphires, 14,000; the pendant comprising a solitaire diamond on gold chain, 40,000 – making a grand total of some 196,000 francs.

‘Well, this is somebody who really invested in jewellery,’ said the jeweller in a slightly teasing tone.

‘Perfectly sound policy, I’d say,’ Lantin replied gravely.

He left, having agreed for the buyer to get a second opinion the following day.

Out in the street again, he looked at the colonne de Vendôme3 and felt an overwhelming desire to shin up it as if it were a greasy pole. He felt so light he could have leapfrogged over the statue of the Emperor perched up there at the top.

He lunched at Voisin’s4 and ordered a bottle of wine costing twenty francs.

After that, he called a fiacre and went for a turn in the Bois. He looked with contempt at certain carriages there and barely suppressed the desire to shout out ‘Me too! Me too, I’m rich! I’ve got 200,000 francs!’

He remembered the Ministry and ordered himself to be driven there. Striding resolutely into his boss’s office he announced: ‘I have come, Monsieur, to offer my resignation. I’ve just inherited 300,000 francs.’

He went to shake hands with his former colleagues and shared with them the plans he was making for his new life. He then went and dined at the Café Anglais.5

Finding himself sitting next to a distinguished-looking gentleman he could not resist the temptation of telling him, not without a certain degree of pride, that he had just inherited 400,000 francs. For the first time in his life he went to the theatre and enjoyed it. Following that he spent the night with some prostitutes.

Six months later he married again. His second wife was extremely virtuous but difficult to get on with. She gave him a very hard time indeed.

TRAIN STORY

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