Granville's estate

"15 francs?"

The amount Bernard asked for was so appalling that Louis thought he had heard it wrong.

"Mr. Bernard, the amount you asked for is a little too big. Could it be that the contract at that time agreed on tea worth 15 francs?"

Louis clearly remembered that Alred once mentioned to him that he and Sologne bought Nicola's tea with a principal of about 3 francs, and the last time he saw Sologne on Moore Street At that time, the total amount in the account book that the liar showed them was only more than [-] francs.In other words, even if Bernard is their biggest customer, the amount in the contract that Alred and the others signed with him cannot exceed [-] francs, otherwise there is no need for Officer Clermont, Alred himself will You will find something wrong in this tea business.

"Oh, what! Monsieur Farentin, do you think I'm lying to the police?"

Louis wanted Bernard to show the contract in his hand and calculate the loss based on the amount recorded on it, but Bernard deliberately misinterpreted his meaning. He stood there with his hands folded and sprayed at Louis from his nose. He breathed a sigh of relief: "Sir, you have to think clearly, you are slandering a hard-working, honest and poor businessman! This small businessman just suffered a loss of goods and money because of your friend, if those Dyed leaves would be sold from my business and people would say, 'Look, that Bernard is selling fake tea to other people!' My business would suffer a fatal blow to the reputation and even I Is not the prospect of hanging on the gallows worth such a small sum of money for M. de Granville?"

He said these words to Louis like a cannonball, and then turned to Alred: "Mr. de Granville, tell me, is this the reason? Such a small sum of money is used to clear your intentions." Is it expensive to buy the clean name of your family at the same time?"

"It's just..."

"Louis!"

Just when Louis was about to argue with Bernard, Alred raised his hand, signaling that this matter would be handled by him: "Louis, stop talking."

"Al?"

Louis looked at Alred in doubt, and he found that his friend's eyes were full of fatigue, sadness and pain - at that moment, he suddenly understood something, and couldn't help but look back at Ke, who was only a step away from him. Officer Lemon.

Guillonet du Clermont, the senior police officer in charge of the No. 12 arrondissement of Paris, just sat there, unresponsive to Bernard's blunt threats and blackmails; his posture was correct. , like the most rational and fair judge in the court, but those gray-blue eyes just glanced at Louis, and Louis felt a bitter chill, as if he had fallen into a icy lake in winter.

"Ah, I see."

Louis murmured, he couldn't help but took two steps back, as if Officer Claremont sitting in front of him was some kind of terrifying monster.

—Alred had told him not to expect any justice from the Paris police, and he had forgotten this principle in his desperation, and absurdly thought that his defense would impress the policeman!

"Monsieur Du Clermont, Monsieur Bernard," said Allred, whose order of address made it clear to Louis who their real opponents were in this negotiation: "I would like to make a settlement." wishes, but the compensation of 15 francs is absurd, and even if all the damage caused by Grostedt is counted, it is impossible to reach such a large amount."

"Mr. de Granville, I know how much damage you and Grostedt have done to me. If you don't believe me, I can send a most respectable notary to my warehouse and have the loss I'll give you a list of them—as long as you don't mind me telling the notary that you and Grostedt sold me fake tea."

This is simply a brazen threat, but the Clermont police officer sitting on the side did not refute Bernard's words, which made him even more proud: "Let's put it this way, Mr. de Granville, the amount of compensation I demand is both Fair and just, even if it goes to court, the judge and jury will support my request. If you don't want to give me the money, I will get the money back in court, for me It's only a matter of waiting a few days; but then the truth will be known to the public, and your name will be talked about with that liar Grostedt, and the honor of your family will be But I can’t keep it any longer.”

"15 francs is impossible, Bernard, I don't have that much money. I can pay you double the amount in that contract, which is [-] francs." Alred said, turning to Clermont Police Officer: "Mr. Police Officer, I think this is already a very generous compensation. The value of the tea that Grostedt sent to Bernard's firm cannot exceed this amount. Otherwise, Mr. Bernard should have found out The accounts and the agreement in the contract do not match up."

"Ah, forty thousand francs!"

Before Officer Clermont could speak, Bernard yelled angrily. He seemed to be irritated: "Do you think you are sending beggars? Mr. de Granville, let's put it this way, today I want Get the bill for 15 francs within today! Otherwise, please go to the Bicetre prison and stay with the convicts!"

Allred ignored Bernard's threat, he just looked at the Clermont police officer sitting on the chair, at the person who was both a participant and a referee in this negotiation: "Sir, do you think I What's your proposal?"

After a few seconds of silence, Officer Claremont spoke in a very calm tone: "Mr. de Granville, I have already said that if you want to solve the problem, you must start from the root of the problem—if If you cannot reach an agreement with Mr. Bernard, then although it is very regrettable, I can only perform my duties, even if I do not want the reputation of a prestigious family to suffer a devastating blow."

The meaning of these words was already very clear, Alred couldn't help but clenched his teeth, the veins on his temples were bulging because of anger.

Louis quietly walked to Alred's side. He was very worried about the plight his friend was facing, but he was helpless. He could only reach out and hold Alred's hand, hoping to give him some strength.

"Ah, Monsieur Inspector, my request is very clear. I want compensation of 15 francs, and I want it today."

Bernard stood there triumphantly with arms folded: "I don't believe that with this gentleman's status and family wealth, he can't even give out such a little money—his father is a noble earl Woolen cloth!"

"Mr. Du Clermont," under Bernard's pressing, even though Alred was very angry, he still had to bow his head to the police officer: "You may have misunderstood something, it's not that I don't Willing to reach a settlement, but I really can't come up with such a large sum of money."

"I don't care about that, Monsieur. I'm going to get a bill for 15 francs today. If you don't want to give this money, you will have to bear the consequences of your mistakes."

Bernard stared at Alred with greedy eyes like vultures staring at their dying prey: "But old Jacques is not unreasonable at all, Mr. de Granville, if you don't have enough money on hand I don’t mind taking a small loss—you can write a note and replace part of the money with something else.”

"What do you mean?"

Alred asked warily, did he think that Bernard would suddenly become kind: "What do you want from me to compensate for this money?"

"I heard from Grostedt that you have a manor worth a hundred thousand francs under your name."

Bernard twitched the corners of his mouth, and the real purpose of the tea merchant to deliberately ask for huge compensation was finally revealed, like a lion baring its ferocious fangs: "I can take a small loss and allow you to use that manor to pay for it." A debt of 12 francs, in which case you will only need to pay me another [-] francs in cash to preserve your status and your family's status with dignity."

"This is impossible!"