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As the wheels rattled merrily over the suburban roads the travellers began to forget their cares, and at sight of the green fields and trees and sky, their minds turned to gay and pleasant thoughts. Élodie dreamed she was surely born to rear poultry with Évariste, a country justice, to help her, in some village on a river bank beside a wood. The roadside elms whirled by as they sped along.
"For the winter," observed Élodie, "they are making quilted gowns in Lapland style of taffeta and muslin, and coats
But an elderly man, a huissier, one of those people who go about with a tricolour-rosetted cocked hat, and steel buttons and canvas trousers and a leather satchel chained to their waist, had lately diverted from Elodie the full tide of maternal affection.
"We only met for a few hours many years ago here in Avignon but we were good friends." Then Andrew drew a deep breath and turned swiftly round on the bench and shot out both his hands. "Mon Dieu! Elodie!" She smiled sadly. "Ah," said she, "I'm glad you remember." They sat awhile and talked of the tragedy, the dead Prepimpin, at once a link and a barrier between them, lying at their feet.
But when you come to the intermediate business of world population, then bureaucracy steps in and plays the very devil. Elodie and Raoul Marescaux desired to be married. In England they would have got a special license, or gone to a registry office, and the thing would have been over.
In actual fact Élodie's lover was a little lawyer's clerk, a very pretty lad, half Adonis, half guttersnipe, whom she had adored and the thought of whom, though three years had gone by since, still thrilled her nerves. Rich old women were his particular game, and he deserted Élodie for a woman of the world of a certain age who could and did recompense his merits.
"I'm afraid my French is that of the British Army, where I learned most of it. But if people are kind and patient I can make myself understood." "Mademoiselle speaks French very well," replied Elodie politely. "You are very good to say so, Madame." I caught questioning, challenging glances flashing across the table, each woman hostilely striving to place the other.
"In fact," said Elodie, trying hard to steady her voice, "you want someone entirely in sympathy with you, who can meet you half-way like Prepimpin." "Precisely," said Andrew. "But where can I find a human Prepimpin?"
"I no longer belong to the Army, my little Elodie," he replied, walking with her, his porter in front, to the barrier. "Mais tu es toujours General?" she asked anxiously. "I keep the rank," said Andrew. "And the uniform? You can wear it? You will put it on sometimes to please me?" They drove home through twilight Paris, her arm passed through his, while she chattered gaily.
And every one of them hung upon his words as though they were a god's. The transient vision faded, and he became aware again of the grotesque and painted clown gibbering meaninglessly out of the glass. He strode down the iron stairs. There was the table of properties waiting in the wings. There came Elodie to join him.
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