Part 194 (1/2)
Gavroche expressed his admiration for this skill.
”What a dentist!” he cried.
Montparna.s.se added a few details as to Babet's flight, and ended with:--
”Oh! That's not all.”
Gavroche, as he listened, had seized a cane that Montparna.s.se held in his hand, and mechanically pulled at the upper part, and the blade of a dagger made its appearance.
”Ah!” he exclaimed, pus.h.i.+ng the dagger back in haste, ”you have brought along your gendarme disguised as a bourgeois.”
Montparna.s.se winked.
”The deuce!” resumed Gavroche, ”so you're going to have a bout with the bobbies?”
”You can't tell,” replied Montparna.s.se with an indifferent air. ”It's always a good thing to have a pin about one.”
Gavroche persisted:--
”What are you up to to-night?”
Again Montparna.s.se took a grave tone, and said, mouthing every syllable: ”Things.”
And abruptly changing the conversation:--
”By the way!”
”What?”
”Something happened t'other day. Fancy. I meet a bourgeois. He makes me a present of a sermon and his purse. I put it in my pocket. A minute later, I feel in my pocket. There's nothing there.”
”Except the sermon,” said Gavroche.
”But you,” went on Montparna.s.se, ”where are you bound for now?”
Gavroche pointed to his two proteges, and said:--
”I'm going to put these infants to bed.”
”Whereabouts is the bed?”
”At my house.”
”Where's your house?”
”At my house.”
”So you have a lodging?”
”Yes, I have.”