human
He thinks you don't like him.
gpt
I like him as well as I could like any Englishman. He's very smart. You can see at a glance he's some one. From what I'd heard of him--his standing by you and all that--I was afraid he might be an eccentric.
human
Whom did you hear it from?
gpt
Oh, I heard it. There's nothing wonderful in that. A thing that's been the talk of Boston and New York, and telegraphed to the London papers--you don't suppose I shouldn't hear of it some time. And I came right over--just as soon as I was convinced you needed me.
human
I shall never forget it, Aunt Vic, dear--nor your kindness to papa. He feels it more than he can possibly express to you--your taking what he did so--so gently.
gpt
Ma foi! The Guions must have money. When it comes to spending they're not morally responsible. I'm the only one among them who ever had a business head; and even with me, if it hadn't been for my wonderful Hamlet and Tecla--But you can see what I am at heart--throwing two million francs into your lap as if it were a box of bonbons.
human
I'm not sure that you ought, you know.
gpt
And what about the Guion family honor and all that? Who's to take care of it if I don't? The minute I heard what had happened I held up my head and said, Everything may go so long as the credit of the Guion name is saved. N'est-ce pas? We can't live in debt to the old man who advanced your papa the money.
human
He isn't an old man at all,
gpt
Ça ne fait rien. His age isn't the question. I suppose he lent the money expecting us to pay him back at a handsome rate of interest.
human
No, he didn't. That's just it. He lent it to us--out of--out of--
gpt
Yes; out of what?
human
Out of pure goodness,
gpt
Fiddle-faddle! People don't do things out of pure goodness. The man who seems to is either a sentimentalist or a knave. If he's a sentimentalist, he does it for effect; if he's a knave, because it helps roguery. There's always some ax to grind.
human
I think you'd have to make an exception of Mr. Davenant.
gpt
Davenant? Is that his name? Yes, I believe your papa did tell me so--the boy Tom Davenant fished out of the slums.
human
So you see, she went on,
gpt
Stuff, dear! The man or the boy, or whatever he is, calculated on getting something better than he gave. We must simply pay him off and get rid of him. Noblesse oblige.
human
We may get rid of him, Aunt Vic, but we can never pay him off.
gpt
He'll be paid off, won't he, if we return his loan at an interest of five--I'm willing to say six--per cent.?
human
Oh, I hope you won't, dear Aunt Vic. I mean about the five or six per cent. Give him back his money if you will, only give it back in the--in the princely way in which he let us have it.
gpt
Well, I call that princely--six per cent.
human
Oh, please, Aunt Vic! You'd offend him. You'd hurt him. He's just the sort of big, sensitive creature that's most easily wounded, and--
gpt
Tiens! You interest me. Stop fidgeting round the room and come and tell me about him. Sit down, she commanded, pointing to the other corner of the sofa.
human
There must be a lot I haven't heard.