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And they had planned a journey into Brittany, commencing with Rennes, where they had an appointment with Larsoneur, with a view of studying that urn mentioned in the Memorials of the Celtic Academy, which appeared to have contained the ashes of Queen Artimesia, when the mayor entered unceremoniously with his hat on, like the boorish individual he was. "All this won't do, my fine fellows!
But, at least, let them be permitted to get a painter to make a drawing of it. "Be it so, gentlemen." "Between ourselves, is it not?" said Bouvard, "under the seal of confession." The ecclesiastic, smiling, reassured them with a gesture. It was not he whom they feared, but rather Larsoneur.
They no longer went out of doors, and received no visitors. One afternoon a dialogue arose, outside the front entrance, between Marcel and a gentleman who wore dark spectacles and a hat with a large brim. It was the academician Larsoneur. He observed a curtain half-opening and doors being shut.
He then gave a description of a tomb which chanced to be open right in front of him, and which contained a skeleton squatting like an ape with its two arms around its legs. Larsoneur, when they informed him of the circumstance, would not believe a word of it. Bouvard sifted the matter, and started the question again.
Bouvard felt with his walking-stick at the spot indicated. They heard the sound of a hard substance. They pulled up some nettles, and discovered a stone basin, a baptismal font, out of which plants were sprouting. It is not usual, however, to bury baptismal fonts outside churches. Pécuchet made a sketch of it; Bouvard wrote out a description of it; and they sent both to Larsoneur.
Accordingly, they put on their blouses, in order not to put people on their guard, and, in the guise of hawkers, they presented themselves at houses, where they expressed a desire to buy up old papers. They obtained heaps of them. These included school copybooks, invoices, newspapers that were out of date nothing of any value. At last Bouvard and Pécuchet addressed themselves to Larsoneur.
"I have been told," replied the Abbé Jeufroy, "that the jawbone of an elephant was at one time found at Villers." However, one of his friends, M. Larsoneur, advocate, member of the bar at Lisieux, and archæologist, would probably supply them with information about it. He had written a history of Port-en-Bessin, in which the discovery of an alligator was noticed.
In a postscript, Larsoneur confessed his longing to have a look at this bowl, which opportunity would be afforded him in a few days, when he would be starting on a trip from Brittany. Then Bouvard and Pécuchet plunged into Celtic archæology.
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