“And, pray, what good would that do me personally?”
“You fool! has not a moralist said, ‘There is always something sweet to us in the misfortune of our friends,—even the dearest.’ ”
“Was it a wolf said that? I did not know wolves could boast of moralists among their number.”
“No, it was not a wolf, it was a man.”
“And was the man hanged?”
“On the contrary, he was made Governor of part of Poitou; there are, to be sure, a good many wolves in that province—well then, if there is something pleasant in the misfortune of our best friend, cannot you understand what a subject of rejoicing the misfortune of our worst enemy must be!”
“There is some truth in that, certainly,” said Thibault.
“Without taking into consideration that there is always an opportunity of profiting by our neighbour’s calamity, whether he be friend or foe.”
Thibault paused for a minute or two to consider before he answered:
“By my faith, you are right there, friend wolf, and suppose, then, you do me this service, what shall you expect in exchange? I suppose it will have to be a case of give and take, eh?”