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But the one thing is to be able to live on, to spend one's savings in peace and comfort when one grows old, and to know that one has gained one's means honestly." Quenu nodded his head in acquiescence, and tried to commence a justification of his conduct. "It was Gavard ," he began. But Lisa's face again assumed a serious expression, and she interrupted him sharply. "No, it was not Gavard.
All the dreadful stories and reports one heard were enough to worry one to death. And it was all owing to that man, that dreadful Florent. Now beautiful Lisa and the beautiful Norman have sensibly made friends again. It was their duty to do so for the sake of the peace and quietness of us all. Everything will go on satisfactorily now, you'll find. Ah! there's poor Monsieur Quenu laughing yonder!"
When she had at last carried a definite reply to Madame Quenu, Mademoiselle Saget hurried off to find Madame Lecoeur and La Sarriette; and all three of them took up their position on the footway at the corner of the fish market, just in front of the pork shop. Here they would be certain to have a good view of every detail of the meeting.
Florent related how he had gone to the Rue Pirouette, at which Gavard seemed much amused and laughed heartily. Then he told Florent that his brother Quenu had moved from that street and had reopened his pork shop close by, in the Rue Rambuteau, just in front of the markets.
"They ought all to be thrown into the Seine, he told me; for it seems there isn't a single respectable person amongst them." "Oh! there's no harm done, of course, so long as only people like myself hear their foolish talk," resumed Mademoiselle Saget. "I'd rather cut my hand off, you know, than make mischief. Last night now, for instance, Monsieur Quenu was saying " She again paused.
Lisa avoided all reference to the subject at breakfast and dinner that day; and even in the evening, when Florent and Quenu went off together to Monsieur Lebigre's, there was no unwonted severity in her glance.
"Ah!" resumed Florent with a laugh, "if Uncle Gradelle could hear you, I think he'd come back and take the money away again. I was never a favourite of his, you know." "Well, no," muttered Quenu, no longer able to keep still, "he certainly wasn't over fond of you." Lisa, however, still pressed the matter.
Quenu, who was much attached to him, threw his arms round his neck, and they kissed each other like children. "Ah! dash it all! Is it really you, my dear fellow?" stammered the pork butcher. "I never expected to see you again. I felt sure you were dead! Why, only yesterday I was saying to Lisa, 'That poor fellow, Florent!"
His slumber had been so heavy that he had not heard her rise. However, he now took courage, and spoke to her from the depths of the alcove: "Why didn't you wake me? What are you doing there?" "I'm sorting the papers in these drawers," she replied in her usual tone of voice. Quenu felt relieved. But Lisa added: "One never knows what may happen. If the police were to come " "What! the police?"
But Gradelle waxed wrathful, declared that Florent deserved his fate, that he ought to have known better than to have mixed himself up with those rascally republicans. And he even added that Florent was destined to turn out badly, that it was written on his face. Quenu wept copiously and remained there, almost choked by his sobs.
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