poundssterling。
Thehonestoldsoldier，MarshalVillars，wassovexedtoseethefollywhichhadsmittenhiscountrymen，thathenevercouldspeakwithtemperonthesubject。PassingonedaythroughthePlaceVendomeinhiscarriage，thecholericgentlemanwassoannoyedattheinfatuationofthepeople，thatheabruptlyorderedhiscoachmantostop，and，puttinghisheadoutofthecarriagewindow，haranguedthemforfullhalfanhourontheir“disgustingavarice。“Thiswasnotaverywiseproceedingonhispart。Hissesandshoutsoflaughterresoundedfromeveryside，andjokeswithoutnumberwereaimedathim。Therebeingatlaststrongsymptomsthatsomethingmoretangiblewasflyingthroughtheairinthedirectionofhishead，Marshalwasgladtodriveon。Heneveragainrepeatedtheexperiment。
Twosober，quiet，andphilosophicmenofletters，M。delaMotteandtheAbbeTerrason，congratulatedeachother，thatthey，atleast，werefreefromthisstrangeinfatuation。Afewdaysafterwards，astheworthyAbbewascomingoutoftheHoteldeSoissons，whitherhehadgonetobuysharesintheMississippi，whomshouldheseebuthisfriendLaMotteenteringforthesamepurpose。“Ha！“saidtheAbbe，smiling，“isthatyou？““Yes，“saidLaMotte，pushingpasthimasfastashewasable；“andcanthatbeyou？“Thenexttimethetwoscholarsmet，theytalkedofphilosophy，ofscience，andofreligion，butneitherhadcourageforalongtimetobreatheonesyllableabouttheMississippi。Atlast，whenitwasmentioned，theyagreedthatamanoughtnevertoswearagainsthisdoinganyonething，andthattherewasnosortofextravaganceofwhichevenawisemanwasnotcapable。
Duringthistime，Law，thenewPlutus，hadbecomeallatoncethemostimportantpersonageofthestate。Theante-chambersoftheRegentwereforsakenbythecourtiers。Peers，judges，andbishopsthrongedtotheHoteldeSoissons；officersofthearmyandnavy，ladiesoftitleandfashion，andeveryonetowhomhereditaryrankorpublicemploygaveaclaimtoprecedence，weretobefoundwaitinginhisante-chamberstobegforaportionofhisIndiastock。Lawwassopesteredthathewasunabletoseeone-tenthpartoftheapplicants，andeverymanoeuvrethatingenuitycouldsuggestwasemployedtogainaccesstohim。Peers，whosedignitywouldhavebeenoutragediftheRegenthadmadethemwaithalfanhourforaninterview，werecontenttowaitsixhoursforthechanceofseeingMonsieurLaw。Enormousfeeswerepaidtohisservants，iftheywouldmerelyannouncetheirnames。
Ladiesofrankemployedtheblandishmentsoftheirsmilesforthesameobject；butmanyofthemcamedayafterdayforafortnightbeforetheycouldobtainanaudience。WhenLawacceptedaninvitation，hewassometimessosurroundedbyladies，allaskingtohavetheirnamesputdowninhislistsasshareholdersinthenewstock，that，inspiteofhiswell-knownandhabitualgallantry，hewasobligedtotearhimselfawayparforce。Themostludicrousstratagemswereemployedtohaveanopportunityofspeakingtohim。Onelady，whohadstriveninvainduringseveraldays，gaveupindespairallattemptstoseehimathisownhouse，butorderedhercoachmantokeepastrictwatchwhenevershewasoutinhercarriage，andifhesawMr。Lawcoming，todriveagainstapost，andupsether。Thecoachmanpromisedobedience，andforthreedaystheladywasdrivenincessantlythroughthetown，prayinginwardlyfortheopportunitytobeoverturned。AtlastsheespiedMr。Law，and，pullingthestring，calledouttothecoachman，“Upsetusnow！forGod’ssake，upsetusnow！“Thecoachmandroveagainstapost，theladyscreamed，thecoachwasoverturned，andLaw，whohadseentheaccident，hastenedtothespottorenderassistance。