The Talleyrand Maxim quotes

… no objection whatever to crookedness, so long as it could be performed in safety and secrecy, had once during one of his periodical visits to the town Reference Library, lighted on a maxim of that other unscrupulous person, Prince Talleyrand, which had pleased him greatly.

“With time and patience,” said Talleyrand, “the mulberry leaf is turned into satin.”

This seemed to Linford Pratt one of the finest and soundest pieces of wisdom which he had ever known put into words.

“With time and patience,” said Talleyrand, “the mulberry leaf is turned into satin.” This seemed to Linford Pratt one of the finest and soundest pieces of wisdom which he had ever known put into words.

A mulberry leaf is a very insignificant thing, but a piece of satin is a highly marketable commodity, with money in it.

Henceforth, he regarded himself as a mulberry leaf which his own wit and skill must transform into satin:

He drove off—to wonder why he had visited Normandale Grange at all. For Mrs. Mallathorpe’s explanation of the letter was doubtless the right one:

Collingwood, little as he had seen of Antony Bartle, knew what a veritable sleuthhound the old man was where rare books or engravings were concerned.

Yet—why the sudden exclamation on finding that paper? Why the immediate writing of the letter to Mrs. Mallathorpe? Why the setting off to Eldrick & Pascoe’s office as soon as the letter was written?

“So you’re a thief?” said Pratt bitterly.

“I’m precisely what you are⁠—a thief!” retorted Parrawhite.

“You stole John Mallathorpe’s will last night. I heard everything, I tell you!—and saw everything. I heard the whole business—what the old man said—what you, later, said to Eldrick.

“He never did care about anything,” replied Nesta with a sigh. “He’s apathetic! He just moves along.

Sometimes I think he was born half asleep, and he’s never been really awakened.

Pity, isn’t it?”

“Pratt!” answered Collingwood. “Pratt! He’s the shadow—with his deep schemes. However, as I said—there may be—developing at this moment—another way of getting at Pratt.

Gentlemen like Pratt, born schemers, invariably forget one very important factor in life⁠—the unexpected!

Even the cleverest and most subtle schemer may have his delicate machinery broken to pieces by a chance bit of mere dust getting into it at an unexpected turn of the wheels.

Eldrick tapped the edge of the table, emphasizing his words as he spoke them.

“They can destroy that will whenever they like!” he said. “And once destroyed, nothing can absolutely prove that it ever existed!”

“Nothing to give us the faintest idea as to its existence!” said Eldrick.

“Not at that price!” said his wife. “

You can pay too much for money, my lad!

I wish you’d told me what that Pratt was after—he should have heard a bit o’ my tongue! If I’d only known—”

soon bargained with her, and made her a willing accomplice in certain of his schemes, without letting her know their full meaning and extent: all, indeed, that she had learned from Pratt was that he had some considerable hold on her mistress.

But it is dangerous work to play with edged tools, and if Pratt had only known it, he was running great risks in using Esther Mawson as a semi-accomplice.

Esther Mawson was in constant touch with her mistress, and Mrs. Mallathorpe, afraid of her daughter, and not greatly in sympathy with her, badly needed a confidante.

Pratt found her useful in arranging meetings with Mrs. Mallathorpe unknown to Nesta, and he believed her to be devoted to him.

But the truth was that Esther Mawson had only one object of devotion⁠—herself⁠—and she was waiting and watching for an opportunity to benefit that object⁠—at Pratt’s expense.

Pratt knew nothing of this as he slowly made his way to Normandale that morning. Having plenty of time he went by devious and lonely roads and by-lanes. Eventually he came to the boundary of Normandale Park at a point far away from the Grange.