I told Goupilleau, ‘Goupilleau, nonsense! You don’t know whom you are talking to! Can’t get money out of this people! bah! Giving balls, going to balls, and not pay house-rent, not pay office-rent, not even pay interest on their debts! debts reduced to ten cents on the dollar! But what are you singing to me, mon ami’ ‘But Madame must not judge by the present.’ ‘And why not? Why not judge by the present?’ ‘The crises, the revolution, the reconstruction.