Afterfourteenyearsofbusiness,hehadsixtythousandfrancsinhandandawell-stockedshop。HelivedintheRuedeNormandiebecausetherentwaslow,butcasualcustomerswerescarce,mostofhisgoodsweresoldtootherdealers,andhewascontentwithmoderategains。AllhisbusinesstransactionswerecarriedonintheAuverguedialector/charabia/,aspeoplecallit。
Remonencqcherishedadream!Hewishedtoestablishhimselfonaboulevard,tobearichdealerincuriosities,anddoadirecttradewithamateurssomeday。And,indeed,withinhimtherewasaformidablemanofbusiness。Hiscountenancewasthemoreinscrutablebecauseitwasglazedoverbyadepositofdustandparticlesofmetalgluedtogetherbythesweatofhisbrow;forhedideverythinghimself,andtheuseandwontofbodilylaborhadgivenhimsomethingofthestoicalimpassibilityoftheoldsoldiersof1799。
InpersonalappearanceRemonencqwasshortandthin;hislittleeyesweresetinhisheadinporcinefashion;aJew\'sslynessandconcentratedgreedlookedoutofthosedullbluecircles,thoughinhiscasethefalsehumilitythatmaskstheHebrew\'sunfathomedcontemptfortheGentilewaslacking。
TherelationsbetweentheCibotsandtheRemonencqswerethoseofbenefactorsandrecipients。Mme。Cibot,convincedthattheAuvergnatswerewretchedlypoor,usedtoletthemhavetheremainderof“hergentlemen\'s“dinnersatridiculousprices。TheRemonencqswouldbuyapoundofbrokenbread,crustsandcrumbs,forafarthing,aporringer-
fullofcoldpotatoesforsomethingless,andotherscrapsinproportion。Remonencqshrewdlyallowedthemtobelievethathewasnotinbusinessonhisownaccount,heworkedforMonistrol,therichshopkeeperspreyeduponhim,hesaid,andtheCibotsfeltsincerelysorryforRemonencq。Thevelveteenjacket,waistcoat,andtrousers,particularlyaffectedbyAuvergnats,werecoveredwithpatchesofCibot\'smaking,andnotapennyhadthelittletailorchargedforrepairswhichkeptthethreegarmentstogetherafterelevenyearsofwear。