Among the stories told of the late Baron de Rothschild is one which details how a change of heart once came to his valet - an excellent fellow, albeit a violent "red."
Alphonse was as good a servant as one could wish to employ, and as his socialism got no farther than attending a weekly meeting, the baron never objected to his political faith. After a few months of these permissions to absent himself from duty, his employer noticed one week that he did not ask to go. The baron thought Alphonse might have forgotten the night, but when the next week the valet stayed at home, he inquired.
"Sir," said the valet, with the utmost dignity, "some of my former colleagues have calculated that if all the wealth in France were divided equally, each individual would be the possessor of two thousand francs."
Alphonse paused significantly.
"Well," said the baron, "what of that?"
"Sir," came back the enlightened Alphonse, "I have five thousand francs now ..."
- From The Laughter Library by Maxwell Droke, 1936