Paul and His Dog Volume Ii Part 3

"I have tried, without success; he defies punishment, he is insensible to entreaties; he has a most intractable disposition. If age and common sense do not change him, he will be a detestable man."

While conversing thus they had reached Ch.e.l.les, and as they entered the village they met Monsieur and Madame Droguet, accompanied by Monsieur Luminot and Doctor Antoine, who were going for a walk in the country.

When she espied the new sojourners at Ch.e.l.les arm-in-arm with the owner of the Tower, Madame Droguet nearly fell backward; she stepped on the feet of Monsieur Luminot, her escort, saying:

"Great heaven! just look! what does this mean?"

On his side the former dealer in wines dug his elbow into Monsieur Droguet's ribs.

"On my word!" he exclaimed; "will you look! this is surprising!"

Thereupon Monsieur Droguet, always ready to dance, made a pirouette which brought him nose to nose with the doctor, crying:

"What is it that's so surprising? what's the matter? why did Luminot say that?"

As for the doctor, having no one to attack, he contented himself with bowing to Honorine and Agathe, although his face betrayed the surprise he felt at meeting them in the company of Paul and his dog.

Monsieur Luminot also bowed. Pere Droguet was on the point of following their example, but his wife suddenly caught his arm.

"Well, monsieur, what are you going to do?" she demanded; "can you think of such a thing as bowing to people who have never been to call on me since they have lived in the neighborhood? It's very uncivil of them! I have a very poor opinion of those women; and they're hardly settled here before they go about with that ill-licked cub, that Monsieur Paul who also has treated us all very rudely! That was all that was necessary to confirm my opinion concerning those women. Let us go on, messieurs; forward, march! You see, that wretched fellow didn't even bow to us."

"The ladies bowed," said Monsieur Luminot.

"Because you bowed first; it would have been very pretty if they hadn't returned your bow! Come, Monsieur Luminot, let us go on, I beg; do you propose to remain in admiring contemplation before the skirts of those ladies?"

And Madame Droguet, having given her husband a push to make him go forward, dragged Monsieur Luminot and the doctor away, and almost made them run.

"Oh! what a strange woman!" cried Agathe with a laugh; "what eyes she made at us! Did you see, Honorine? One would say she wanted to turn us to stone."

"Doubtless that is Madame Droguet, whom Doctor Antoine has often mentioned to us."

"And that little slim man who stands on one leg when he looks at you is probably her husband."

When the ladies reached their house, Honorine took her arm from her escort's, saying:

"This is our modest abode; would you not like to come in a moment and rest, monsieur? I must have fatigued you terribly."

"I thank you, madame," Paul replied, bowing, "but I will continue my walk."

"Oh! do come in a moment, monsieur," said Agathe; "see, your good dog seems to invite you; he has already gone in."

Paul's only reply was to call his dog which quickly returned to his side; then he hurried away, after saluting the ladies.

"What a strange man!" murmured Honorine.

"All the same, my dear love, we were very lucky to meet him; and he doesn't frighten me at all now. Do you still think that he has a terrifying look?"

"No, oh, no! but he went away very abruptly."

III

THE EFFECTS OF MUSIC AND OF A MATELOTE

It was a magnificent morning and the clock had just struck nine, when Edmond Didier appeared, very carefully dressed, at his friend Freluchon's, who had just left his bed.

"What, you lazy fellow! not dressed yet! And it's nine o'clock, and the weather is superb, and the first days of June are the finest of the whole year!"

"Bah! what do I care for all that? It matters little to me what time it is. I rise late because I sat up very late. A little egg-supper, with some very interesting ladies from the Folies-Dramatiques. Artistes, you see--they are the only really agreeable women!"

"You exaggerate, Freluchon, my dear fellow! We have artistes also who put on airs and are forever posing in company."

"To them we say _zut!_--dramatic style.--But how fine you are this morning! Have you something on hand for to-day?"

"Certainly; this is the day that we are going to Ch.e.l.les, to see those ladies I spoke to you about."

"_We are going_ is very pretty! you are going, perhaps--that's all right. But why should I, who don't know the ladies in question--why should I go with you?"

"Because it's somewhere to go; it will give you a chance to see that part of the suburbs of Paris, which is very beautiful. We will dine there; we will have a _matelote;_ Gournay is famous for them and it's close by."

"That's an inducement; I am pa.s.sionately fond of _matelote._ In Parisian restaurants it's execrable, as a general rule; you can't get a good one unless you are right on the water."

"While I go to call on the ladies, you can find out the best restaurant and order the dinner."

"The best place to get a _matelote_ is ordinarily the house of some fisherman who sells wine."

"Oh! Freluchon, if you knew with what pleasure I shall see the lovely Agathe again! Her name is Agathe----"

"So you told me."

"She has dark-blue eyes with such a sweet, amiable expression; a slender, graceful figure; perfect grace in every movement----"

"Like a cat."

"Come, dress quickly, and we will go to the Strasbourg station."

"Are we going to Strasbourg first? That will be the longest way."

"Pshaw! if you began to talk nonsense!----"

"I hope to continue.--Well, if it must be, I proceed to sacrifice myself. After all, a day in the country will do me good, and I shall not be sorry to form a little acquaintance with some rustic beauty. A woman of nature--that will be a novelty; for the stage is very far from nature.--Speaking of nature, do you know what has happened to Chamoureau?"

"I have heard that he has made a fortune--or inherited one; twenty thousand francs a year; is it true?"

"Quite true; and, what is even truer, since he became rich, he doesn't speak to his old friends. He hardly looks at me--at me, whom he never used to quit! He puts on the airs of a great n.o.ble! As you can imagine, it amuses me beyond words; and so, not long ago, I said to him in the foyer at the Opera, where he seemed to be in deadly terror that I would take his arm:

"'My poor Chamoureau, how is it that, in becoming rich, you have become a bigger fool than you were? I a.s.sure you that wealth doesn't require a man to be insolent; I know that it often makes them so, but there's no obligation about it.'