"I ask for an office to myself so that I can have the right to think while I am working."
"And if I do not let you have an office to yourself?"
"I shall try to earn my living as an author. You know I have no other resource."
"And if I do not immediately send you packing, you may be very sure it is for your mother's sake and not for your own."
"I am fully aware of that, and I am grateful to you on my mother's account."
"Very well, take your office to yourself, then; but I give you warning that...."
"You will give me double the work of any other clerk?"
"It will be unjust, that is all; but, since I am not the stronger, I shall submit."
"Unjust! unjust!" shrieked M. Deviolaine. "I would have you know that I have never done an unjust thing in my life."
"It would seem there is a beginning for everything."
"Did you ever see--oh, did you ever see such a young rip!" continued M. Deviolaine, as he paced up and down his office,--"did you ever see! did you ever see!..."
"Very well, I will not treat you unjustly; no, indeed no, you shall not have more work to do than the others; but you shall have as much, and you shall be watched to see that you get through it! M. Fossier shall receive orders from me to carry out this inspection."
"What next! Have you something now to say against M. Fossier?"
"Why, I would much rather he were good-looking, on his own account first and also on my own."
"But what does it matter to you whether M. Fossier be ugly or beautiful?"
"If I have to meet a face three or four times in a day I should much prefer it to be agreeable rather than disagreeable."
"Well, I never met such a cursed young puppy in all my days! You will soon want me to choose my head clerks to suit your taste!... Get out! Go back to your office, and try to make up for lost time."
"I will do so; but, first, I want to ask a promise from you, monsieur."
"Well, upon my word, if he isn't actually going to impose his own conditions on me!"
"Now, what do you wish, Monsieur le poëte?"
"I should like you yourself each day to overlook the work I have done and see how I have done it."
"Well, I promise you that.... And when is the first performance to take place?"
"I can hardly tell you; but I am very sure you will be present at it!"