human
It has taken you a very long time; you are very late; if I was a messenger, I would move quicker than this.
gpt
It's not my fault, monsieur, Paul replied.
human
I went first to the Marché du Temple, to see Madame Agar Abraham.
gpt
Speak lower, messenger, lower! Come to the foot of the stairs; there are too many people passing here.
human
Now, go on, he said;
gpt
I am listening.
human
I handed monsieur's letter to Madame Abraham.
gpt
Very good; where's the money she gave you?
human
She gave me no money for monsieur; but after reading the letter, she cried: 'My nephew is trying to make a fool of me! does he suppose that I am going to support him in his extravagance? I won't lend him another sou! not another liard! and if he don't pay what he owes me---- '
gpt
All right! all right! that's enough! Madame Agar was jesting; in the first place, I am not her nephew, but that's a favorite term of hers that she applies to everybody; she even calls some of her lady customers her nephews. I'll go and give her a lecture, to teach her not to be so familiar.--Then you went to my concierge, Madame Pluchonneau, who made haste to do what I wanted?
human
She didn't make any too much haste, monsieur. In the first place, she cried: 'If monsieur thinks I like doing such errands as this--carrying his coat to the Mont-de-Piété---- '
gpt
Hush! hush! not so loud! Those concierges are so infernally insolent. It's very warm in my room, the sun shines into it all day; I don't need to keep my winter clothes through the summer, for the moths to eat; and then, I have so many clothes, I really don't know where to keep them. Well?
human
Well, monsieur, your concierge went on with her dinner and didn't show the slightest zeal.
gpt
I'll have my landlord discharge her.
human
When she had finished her dinner, she went up to your room.--'If monsieur sends to the Mont-de-Piété so often,' she said, 'I don't know what he'll have left to cover his backside.'
gpt
Backside! she didn't use that word, I trust?
human
I beg your pardon, monsieur; I have repeated exactly what she said.
gpt
She'll pay dear for that. She shall not do my chamber work any more--I mean, she shan't help my valet with my cooking. But let us skip these details; they are eating the dessert without me.
human
At last, monsieur, your concierge did your errand. She was gone a very long time; that's why I could not return any sooner, as you told me to wait.
gpt
True.
human
She came back in a very ill humor, and gave me this for monsieur.
gpt
Twelve francs! he cried.
human
What does this mean? twelve francs for a superb silk-lined paletot, with a velvet collar! Messenger, she must have given you more than this.
gpt
No, monsieur; there wasn't any more money, but she gave me this paper with it, which will prove that I have handed you all that I received.
human
The Arabs! twelve francs! only twelve francs for a luxurious garment which cost me a hundred and nineteen! However, I won't let them keep it long, to teach them---- All right, my boy, all right!