o, that we shall not have
our fun; we had quite reckoned upon getting up a fight with Germain to
amuse us after dinner. I don't know now what we shall do to kill the
time."

"Ah, to be sure!" chimed in Nicholas. "What the deuce shall we do with
ourselves? Can anybody tell me?"

"Well, then, I'll settle it!" said Barbillon. "Since you seem to
recommend my leaving Germain alone, I'll agree to do so, on condition
that Pique-Vinaigre tells us one of his best stories."

"Done!" exclaimed the story-teller. "But I must make one condition as
well as you, and, without both are agreed to, I don't open my lips."

"Well, then, say what your other condition is. I dare say it is not more
difficult than the former, and we soon agreed about that."

"It is that this honourable company, which is overstocked with riches,"
said the Pique-Vinaigre, resuming his old tone when addressing his
audiences preparatory to commencing his juggling tricks, "will have the
trifling kindness to club together and present me with the small sum of
twenty sous,--a mere trifle, gents, when you are about to listen to the
celebrated Pique-Vinaigre, who has had the honour of appearing before
the most celebrated prigs of the day--he who is now expected at Brest or
Toulon, by the special command of his majesty's government."

"Well, then, we'll stand the twenty sous after you have finished your
story."

"After?--no--before!" said Pique-Vinaigre.

"What! Do you suppose us capable of doing you out of twenty sous?" asked
the Skeleton, with an air of disdain.

"By no means!" replied Pique-Vinaigre. "I honour the stone jug with my
confidence, and it is in order to economise its purse that I ask for
twenty sous in advance."

"On your word and honour?"

"Yes, gentlemen; for, after my story, you will be so satisfied, that it
is not twenty sous but twenty francs--a hundred francs--you will force
me to take! I know that I should be shabby enough to accept them; and
thus, you see, it is from consideration, and you will do wisely to give
me twenty sous in advance."

"You don't want for the gift of the gab!"

"I have nothing but my tongue, and I must make use of that. And
then,--if it must be told,--my sister and her children are in terrible
distress, and, in a small house, even twenty sous is a consideration."

"Then why doesn't your sister prig, and her kids, too, if they're old
enough?" asked Nicholas.

"Don't ask me; it distresses--dishonours me! I am to