Rollo in Paris | Page 6

are not to expend a single
centime in any way that I object to."
"What is a centime?" asked Rollo.
"It is of the value of less than one fourth of a cent," replied Mr. George.
"But I should think I might buy such little things as that would come to,
of myself," said Rollo. "Suppose I should wish to buy a small piece of
gingerbread for a cent."
"Say for a sou,"[A] replied Mr. George. "There are no cents in Paris."
[A] Pronounced soo.
"Well," rejoined Rollo, "suppose I should wish to spend a sou for
gingerbread, and eat it, and you should object to it."
"Very well," replied Mr. George; "and suppose you were to wish to
spend a sou for poison, and drink it."
"But I should not be likely to buy poison," said Rollo, laughing.
"Nor should I be likely to object to your buying gingerbread," rejoined
Mr. George. "A boy, however, may, it is clear, do mischief with a little
money as well as with a great deal; and, therefore, the power in his
guardian should be absolute and entire. At any rate, so it is in this case.
If I see fit to forbid your expending a single sou for any thing whatever,
I can, and you will have no remedy till we see your father again; and
then you can ask him to put you under some other person's care. Until
he does this, however, the control is absolute and entire in my hands. I
would not take charge of a boy on any other terms."
"Well," said Rollo, "I agree to it."

"And now," said Mr. George, "I am ready to begin your account."
Mr. George then took a small account book from his pocket book as he
said this, and, opening it at the beginning, he wrote across the top of the
two pages which came together the words,
Rollo Holiday, in Account with his Father.
On the corner of the left-hand page he wrote Dr., which stands for
debtor; and on that of the right-hand page, Cr., which stands for
creditor.
"There," said he, "now I shall enter, from time to time, on the creditor
side, all the money that becomes due to you; and on the debtor side, all
that I pay to you. Then, by striking a balance, we can always tell how
much of your money there is in my hands.
"Let me see," continued Mr. George. "Your father and mother
concluded finally to go by the way of Folkstone. The fare that way is
two pound eleven. This way, it is one pound four. I am to pay you the
difference. The difference is one pound seven; and one pound seven, in
francs, is--let me see how much."
Mr. George made a calculation with a pencil and paper, and found that
it amounted to thirty-three francs seventy-five centimes.
"I don't understand reckoning by francs and centimes very well," said
Rollo.
"No," replied Mr. George, "that is your misfortune; and you'll have to
bear it as well as you can till you get out of it."
So Mr. George entered the francs--thirty-three seventy-five--in Rollo's
book.
"You have got thirty-three francs to begin with," said he; "that's a pretty
good stock.
"Now, there is your allowance of ten francs per day. I will enter that

weekly. There are three days in this week, including to-day and Sunday.
That makes thirty francs."
So Mr. George entered the thirty francs.
"There," said he, "the whole amount due you up to Monday morning is
sixty-three francs seventy-five centimes. That is sixty-three francs and
three fourths. A hundred centimes make a franc.
"And now," continued Mr. George, "I will make you a payment, so as
to put you in funds, and that must be put down on the other side. How
much would you like?"
"I don't know," said Rollo; "a few francs, I suppose."
"Have you got a purse?" asked Mr. George. "Let me see it."
So Rollo took out a small leather bag which he had bought in London.
"That's it," said Mr. George. "I'll give you ten francs. When you want
more, you can have it--that is, provided it is due to you."
Here Mr. George rang a bell, and a waiter came in immediately. Mr.
George handed the waiter a sovereign, and asked him to get change for
it in French money. The waiter took the money, and presently came in
with five five-franc pieces. These he presented very respectfully to Mr.
George. Mr. George took two of them and gave them to Rollo. The
others he put into his own pocket. The five-franc pieces were very
bright and new, and they were of about the size of silver dollars. Rollo
was very much pleased with his portion, and put