chops from
the loin. At each blow she dealt, her black merino dress rose slightly
behind her, and the ribs of her stays showed beneath her tightly
stretched bodice. She slowly took up the chops and weighed them with an
air of gravity, her eyes gleaming and her lips tightly closed.

When the lady had gone, and Lisa perceived Marjolin still full of
delight at having seen her deal those three clean, forcible blows with
the cleaver, she at once called out to him, "What! haven't you gone
yet?"

He thereupon turned to go, but she detained him for a moment longer.

"Now, don't let me see you again with that hussy Cadine," she said. "Oh,
it's no use to deny it! I saw you together this morning in the tripe
market, watching men breaking the sheep's heads. I can't understand
what attraction a good-looking young fellow like you can find in such a
slipshod slattern as Cadine. Now then, go and tell Monsieur Gavard that
he had better come at once, while there's no one about."

Marjolin thereupon went off in confusion, without saying a word.

Handsome Lisa remained standing behind her counter, with her head turned
slightly in the direction of her markets, and Florent gazed at her in
silence, surprised to see her looking so beautiful. He had never looked
at her properly before; indeed, he did not know the right way to look at
a woman. He now saw her rising above the viands on the counter. In front
of her was an array of white china dishes, containing long Arles and
Lyons sausages, slices of which had already been cut off, with tongues
and pieces of boiled pork; then a pig's head in a mass of jelly; an open
pot of preserved sausage-meat, and a large box of sardines disclosing a
pool of oil. On the right and left, upon wooden platters, were mounds
of French and Italian brawn, a common French ham, of a pinky hue, and a
Yorkshire ham, whose deep red lean showed beneath a broad band of fat.
There were other dishes too, round ones and oval ones, containing spiced
tongue, truffled galantine, and a boar's head stuffed with pistachio
nuts; while close to her, in reach of her hand, stood some yellow
earthen pans containing larded veal, _pate de foie gras_, and hare-pie.

As there were no signs of Gavard's coming, she arranged some fore-end
bacon upon a little marble shelf at the end of the counter, put the jars
of lard and dripping back into their places, wiped the plates of each
pair of scales, and saw to the fire of the heater, which was