Volume III Part 2 (1/2)
”It is, perhaps, from penitence, that he gives us forty sous for our breakfast.”
”The fact is, he must be crazy.”
”Or sick.”
”I think for the last two or three days he has been quite wild.”
”Not that we see him so much. He who was, for our torment, in his cabinet from morning till night, and always at our backs, now has not, for two days, put his nose into the office.”
”That is the reason the head clerk has so much to do.”
”And that we are obliged to die with hunger in waiting for him.”
”What a change in the office.”
”Poor Germain would be much astonished if any one should say to him, 'Only fancy, my boy, the governor gives us forty sous for our breakfast;' 'Pshaw!
it is impossible,' he would say. 'It is so possible that he has announced it to me, Chalamel, in my own person.' 'You are jesting.' 'I jest! This is the way it occurred: during two or three days which followed the death of Madame Seraphin, we had no breakfast at all. We liked that well enough, for no breakfast at all was better than that she gave us; but, on the other hand, our luncheon cost us money. However, we were patient, and said: ”The governor has got no servant, no housekeeper, and when he gets one, we shall have to live on hash again.” It wasn't so, my poor Germain: the old fellow finally employed a servant, and our breakfast was still buried in the river of oblivion. I was appointed a sort of deputy, to present to the governor the complaints of the stomach; he was with the princ.i.p.al clerk.” I do not want to feed you in the morning,” said he, in a gruff, surly tone; ”my servant has no time to prepare your breakfast.” ”But, sir, you are bound to give us our morning meal.” ”Well, you may send out for your breakfast, and I will pay for it. How much do you want?--forty sous each?” added he, with some other subject evidently upon his mind, and mentioning, ”forty sous,”
in the same manner that he would have said twenty sous, or a hundred sous.
”Yes, sir,” I exclaimed, ”forty sous, will do,” catching the ball ”on the fly.” ”Let it be so,” answered the notary; ”the head clerk will take charge of the expense, and I will settle with him.” Thereupon the governor shut the door in my face.' You must confess, gentleman that Germain would be astonished at the extraordinary liberality of the governor.”
”Germain would say: 'The governor is out of his head.'”
”And forty sous a-head out of his pocket,” said Chalamel.
”Well done! the first chemist was right who said: 'Bitter as _Calomel!_'”
”Seriously, I believe that the governor is sick.”
”For ten days past, he is scarcely to be recognized. His cheeks are so hollow, that you might thrust in your fist.”
”And he is so absent-minded, that it is curious to see him. The other day he took off his gla.s.ses to read a deed; his eyes were red as live coals.”
”He was right; short reckonings make long friends.”
”For heaven's sake, don't cut me with your saws. I tell you, gentlemen, that it is very singular. It was upside down.”
”Which was upside down?--the deed or the governor? It is singular, as you say. What the devil was he doing in that position? I should think it would have given him the apoplexy, unless his habits, as you say, have changed very suddenly.”
”How wearisome you are, Chalamel! I mean that it was the deed which I presented wrong end foremost.”
”How wild he must have been!”
”Not at all; he didn't even perceive it. He looked at it for ten minutes, with his bloodshot eyes fixed upon it, and then he gave it back to me, saying: 'Quite correct.'”
”Still upside down?”
”Still.”
”How could he have read the deed?”