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He had acquired the habit of reading a few pages in his Diogenes Laertius every night, before he went to bed. He knew enough Greek to enjoy the peculiarities of the text which he owned. He had now no other enjoyment. Several weeks passed. All at once, Mother Plutarque fell ill.
He did not understand in the least, and opened it. The purse had two compartments; in one of them there was some small change; in the other lay six napoleons. M. Mabeuf, in great alarm, referred the matter to his housekeeper. "That has fallen from heaven," said Mother Plutarque.
In the meantime, he toiled all day over his plot of indigo, and at night he returned home to water his garden, and to read his books. At that epoch, M. Mabeuf was nearly eighty years of age. One evening he had a singular apparition. He had returned home while it was still broad daylight. Mother Plutarque, whose health was declining, was ill and in bed.
In a period of embarrassment, the first thing which does not sell is a Flora. The Flora of the Environs of Cauteretz stopped short. Weeks passed by without a single purchaser. Sometimes M. Mabeuf started at the sound of the bell. "Monsieur," said Mother Plutarque sadly, "it is the water-carrier."
On the day of his entrance into his new quarters, he was very gay, and drove the nails on which his engravings and herbariums were to hang, with his own hands, dug in his garden the rest of the day, and at night, perceiving that Mother Plutarque had a melancholy air, and was very thoughtful, he tapped her on the shoulder and said to her with a smile: "We have the indigo!"
There are people who read very loud, and who have the appearance of giving themselves their word of honor as to what they are perusing. It was with this sort of energy that Mother Plutarque was reading the romance which she had in hand. M. Mabeuf heard her without listening to her. In the course of her reading, Mother Plutarque came to this phrase.
Mais M. Gibbon, instruit par l'experience des inconveniens d'un gouvernement populaire, ne fut point du tout de son avis, et il prit genereusement la defense du gouvernement monarchique. L'Abbe voulut le convaincre par Tite Live, et par quelques argumens tires de Plutarque en faveur des Spartiates.
Many stars had already been consumed by this monster, which, besides, had the claws of a tiger. Bouddha went into its den and succeeded in converting the dragon. That is a good book that you are reading, Mother Plutarque. There is no more beautiful legend in existence." And M. Mabeuf fell into a delicious revery.
Mother Plutarque began again, and the old man was forced to accept the conversation: "The landlord is not pleased." "Why?" "We owe three quarters rent." "In three months, we shall owe him for four quarters." "He says that he will turn you out to sleep." "I will go." "The green-grocer insists on being paid. She will no longer leave her fagots. What will you warm yourself with this winter?
He had gone out with a Robert Estienne, which he had sold for thirty-five sous under the Quai Malaquais, and he returned with an Aldus which he had bought for forty sous in the Rue des Gres. "I owe five sous," he said, beaming on Mother Plutarque. That day he had no dinner. He belonged to the Horticultural Society. His destitution became known there.
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