poking her
nose under the other cover, however, all the same. "I felt rather a
fancy for one, but I'm afraid a cutlet would be rather too heavy in the
evening. I'd rather have something, too, that I need not warm."

While speaking she had turned towards Florent and looked at him; then
she looked at Gavard, who was beating a tattoo with his finger-tips
on the marble table. She smiled at them, as though inviting them to
continue their conversation.

"Wouldn't a little piece of salt pork suit you?" asked Lisa.

"A piece of salt pork? Yes, that might do."

Thereupon she took up the fork with plated handle, which was lying at
the edge of the dish, and began to turn all the pieces of pork about,
prodding them, lightly tapping the bones to judge of their thickness,
and minutely scrutinising the shreds of pinky meat. And as she turned
them over she repeated, "No, no; it doesn't tempt me."

"Well, then, have a sheep's tongue, or a bit of brawn, or a slice of
larded veal," suggested Lisa patiently.

Mademoiselle Saget, however, shook her head. She remained there for
a few minutes longer, pulling dissatisfied faces over the different
dishes; then, seeing that the others were determined to remain silent,
and that she would not be able to learn anything, she took herself off.

"No; I rather felt a fancy for a cutlet rolled in bread-crumbs," she
said as she left the shop, "but the one you have left is too fat. I must
come another time."

Lisa bent forward to watch her through the sausage-skins hanging in the
shop-front, and saw her cross the road and enter the fruit market.

"The old she-goat!" growled Gavard.

Then, as they were now alone again, he began to tell them of the
situation he had found for Florent. A friend of his, he said, Monsieur
Verlaque, one of the fish market inspectors, was so ill that he was
obliged to take a rest; and that very morning the poor man had told
him that he should be very glad to find a substitute who would keep his
berth open for him in case he should recover.

"Verlaque, you know, won't last another six months," added Gavard, "and
Florent will keep the place. It's a splendid idea, isn't it? And it will
be such a take-in for the police! The berth is under the Prefecture, you
know. What glorious fun to see Florent getting paid by the police, eh?"

He burst into a hearty laugh; the idea struck him as so extremely
comical.

"I won't take the place," Florent bluntly replied. "I've sworn I'