“Yourmotherborrowedahundredthousandfrancsofme，butIhavepaidoutonlyeightythousand。Hereistherest；becarefulhowyouspendit，monsieur；considerwhatyouhaveleftofitasyourstakeonthegreenclothoffortune。“
DuringthelasteightdaysSavinienhadmademanyreflectionsonthepresentconditionsoflife。Competitionineverythingnecessitatedhardworkonthepartofwhoeversoughtafortune。Illegalmethodsandunderhanddealingdemandedmoretalentthanopeneffortsinfaceofday。Successinsociety，farfromgivingamanposition，wastedhistimeandrequiredanimmensedealofmoney。ThenameofPortenduere，whichhismotherconsideredall-powerful，hadnopoweratallinParis。Hiscousinthedeputy，ComtedePortenduere，cutaverypoorfigureintheElectiveChamberinpresenceofthepeerageandthecourt；andhadnonetoomuchcreditpersonally。AdmiralKergarouetexistedonlyasthehusbandofhiswife。Savinienadmittedtohimselfthathehadseenorators，menfromthemiddleclasses，orlessernoblemen，becomeinfluentialpersonages。Moneywasthepivot，thesolemeans，theonlymechanismofasocietywhichLouisXVIII。hadtriedtocreateinthelikenessofthatofEngland。
OnhiswayfromtheRuedelaCleftotheRueCroixdesPetits-ChampstheyounggentlemandivulgedtheupshotofthesemeditationswhichwerecertainlyinkeepingwithdeMarsay’sadvicetotheolddoctor。
“Iought，“hesaid，“togointooblivionforthreeorfouryearsandseekacareer。PerhapsIcouldmakemyselfanamebywritingabookonstatesmanshipormorals，oratreatiseonsomeofthegreatquestionsoftheday。WhileIamlookingoutforamarriagewithsomeyoungladywhocouldmakemeeligibletotheChamber，Iwillworkhardinsilenceandinobscurity。“
Studyingtheyoungfellow’sfacewithakeeneye，thedoctorsawtheseriouspurposeofawoundedmanwhowasanxioustovindicatehimself。