Volume I Part 30 (2/2)
Caillard was so delighted that he could scarcely eat or drink, and a week later he set out He went fro in lofts full of dusty volumes, and was hated by all the librarians
One day, happening to be at Rouen, he thought he should like to go and embrace his wife, whom he had not seen for more than a week, so he took the nine o'clock train, which would land hiht
He had his latchkey, so he went in without hted at the idea of the surprise he was going to give her She had locked herself in How tiresoh the door:
”Jeanne, it is I”
She htened, for he heard her jump out of bed and speak to herself, as if she were in a drea-room, opened and closed the door, and went quickly up and down her roo the furniture till the vases and glasses sounded Then at last she asked:
”Is it you, Alexander?”
”Yes, yes,” he replied; ”make haste and open the door”
As soon as she had done so, she threw herself into his arht! What a surprise! What a pleasure!”
He began to undress hi, and from a chair he took his overcoat, which he was in the habit of hanging up in the hall But, suddenly, he remained motionless, struck dumb with astonishment--there was a red ribbon in the buttonhole!
”Why,” he staot the rosette in it!”
In a second his wife threw herself on hi it froive it to me”
But he still held it by one of the sleeves, without letting it go, repeating, in a half-dazed manner:
”Oh! Why? Just explainwhose overcoat is it? It is not ion of Honor on it”
She tried to take it from him, terrified, and hardly able to say:
”Listenlistengive it meI must not tell youit is a secretlisten to ry, and turned pale:
”I want to kno this overcoat co to me”
Then she almost screamed at him:
”Yes it does; listenswear to mewellyou are decorated”
She did not intend to joke at his expense
He was so overcome that he let the overcoat fall, and dropped into an armchair
”I amyou say I amdecorated?”