Volume Ii Part 4 (2/2)
”What a question! It's as if you should ask me if I know how many times I blew my nose yesterday.”
”If they should receive me coldly--with that frigid courtesy that means: 'Monsieur, you are welcome this once--it's all right--but you will gratify us by not coming again' ----”
”Why, you would say to them: 'Mesdames, you will be the losers; I improve rapidly on acquaintance' ----”
”Ah! there's the bell, the signal for the train; let's hurry.”
”Hurry! what an extraordinary man! What's the use of hurrying? there's always room in the cars; as the saying goes: 'When there's no more room, there is still some.' ”
The two friends took their seats, and the train started. Freluchon scrutinized their travelling companions. Two elderly women, a child, and three men, two of whom instantly began to smoke, in the teeth of the regulations, deeming it perfectly natural to gratify a brutish taste at the risk of setting the carriage on fire and roasting a considerable number of travellers. What vile cads such people are!
Freluchon admired the landscape, as much as one can admire it from a railway train. The country was very pretty through Raincy; but Edmond looked at nothing, saw nothing. Whenever the train stopped, he wanted to alight, thinking that they had arrived; Freluchon was obliged to hold him back by the coat, saying:
”We are not at Ch.e.l.les; do you mean to go the rest of the way on foot?”
At last they reached the Ch.e.l.les station. The two friends alighted and Edmond asked a peasant woman:
”Which way to Ch.e.l.les, if you please?”
”To your left, up the hill.”
”And the _matelote_ country, madame?” asked Freluchon.
”To your right, monsieur; follow the main road, take the first road to the left, cross the bridge, and you're in Gournay.”
”Infinitely obliged. I will go in that direction, Edmond, while you go to Ch.e.l.les; you will find me at the best restaurant, cabaret or grill-room in Gournay. It is now one o'clock; I trust that I shall see you again by four; three hours to pay your respects is a very generous allowance. I am going to try to find a shepherdess of the Florian type; if it come to the worst I will be content with a bather of the Courbet type.--Bah! he isn't listening; he's already on his way; he continues to be amiable!”
Agathe was at the piano, singing and accompanying herself. Honorine, seated by the window, was working at embroidery, glancing frequently in the direction of the Tower.
Several days had pa.s.sed since the adventure of the cow; they had seen neither Paul nor his dog, and Madame Dalmont had just observed:
”I am sure that that gentleman was sorely annoyed to be obliged to walk home with us; that was why he ran away without listening, I think, to my invitation to him to rest a moment.”
”Why, yes, he did listen, because he answered: 'I must continue my walk.' --Ah! the dog is more agreeable than his master!”
And the two friends had relapsed into silence.
Poucette entered the salon.
”Mesdames, here's a fine young man who wants to know if he can have the honor of seeing you.”
”A young man--did he give his name?”
”Monsieur Edmond Didier.”
”Edmond Didier! Oh! my dear friend, that's the young man, who--the young man, who--you know--who took so much trouble to help you to buy this house.”
”Yes, yes; I remember very well; but that's no reason why you should blush so. Why, you are all confused. Come, come, Agathe, control yourself.--Show the gentleman in, Poucette.”
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