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The excerpt represents the core issue or deciding factor on which you must meditate, and is drawn from Gobseck by Honore de Balzac: me as who should say, 'A fine fellow that! he has learned something
from my lessons!' And I, for my part, riposted with a glance, which he
understood uncommonly well. The business was dubious and shady; there
was pressing need of coming to terms. Gobseck could not deny all
knowledge of it, for I should appear as a witness. The Count thanked
me with a smile of good-will.
"In the debate which followed, Gobseck showed greed enough and skill
enough to baffle a whole congress of diplomatists; but in the end I
drew up an instrument, in which the Count acknowledged the receipt of
eighty-five thousand francs, interest included, in consideration of
which Gobseck undertook to return the diamonds to the Count.
 Gobseck |