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"I can eat as good a dinner in my room as here, and I have the income of the money this useless splendor would have wasted. Where is Madame Soudry?" he asked, as the mayor returned armed with a venerable bottle. "Asleep." "And you no longer disturb her slumbers?" said Rigou. The ex-gendarme winked with a knowing air, and pointed to the ham which Jeannette, the pretty maid, was just bringing in.
Gaubertin promised them his assistance, without explaining who were his co-operators, for he did not wish them to know about his relations with Sibilet. Nothing can equal the prudence of a man of Gaubertin's stamp, unless it be that of an ex-gendarme or an unfrocked priest.
Behind him was the Pyramid Doctor and the deuced ex-gendarme, whilst a confused something was bobbing about round their legs. It was, I believe, that little monster Pitichinaccio. No sooner did the old man get sight of me than he shook his fist at me, and began to heap the most fearful curses and imprecations upon me, swearing that if I did but approach his door he would have all my bones broken.
Seated along with these are two upper-class domestics, a hack-driver, an ex-gendarme dismissed from the corps, a cobbler on the street corner, a runner on errands who was once a carter's boy, and another who, two months before this, was a scavenger's apprentice, the latter penniless and in tatters before he became one of the Committee, and since that, well clad, lodged and furnished.
"That's the only one," answered Rigou, "but she is not suitable; she thinks she has only to be seen to be admired; she's not complying enough; we want a witch and a sly-boots, too. Never mind, the right one will turn up sooner or later." "Yes," said Lupin, "the more pretty girls he sees the greater the chances are." "But perhaps you can't get the Shopman to the fair," said the ex-gendarme.
"Thus the old fellow raged, and as the damned ex-gendarme, incited by the Pyramid Doctor, was making preparations to bear down upon me, and a crowd of curious onlookers began to assemble, what could I do but quit the field with all speed? I didn't like to come to you in my great trouble, for I know you would only have laughed at me and my inconsolable complaints.
"That will pick you up, a pretty bit like that," he said. "It was cured in the house; we cut into it only yesterday." "Where did you find her?" said the ex-Benedictine in Soudry's ear. "She is like the ham," replied the ex-gendarme, winking again; "I have had her only a week."
"On my honor, Jeannette is as good as the ham," said Rigou. "If I hadn't an Annette I should want a Jeannette." "One is as good as the other," said the ex-gendarme, "for your Annette is fair and delicate. How is Madame Rigou, is she asleep?" added Soudry, roughly, to let Rigou see he understood his joke. "She wakes with the cock, but she goes to roost with the hens," replied Rigou.
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