l be so good, zare is a cafe near
by where it is quite posseeble to dine."

Relieved of the governor's constant watchfulness Baeader became himself. He
bustled about the restaurant, called for "Cancale speciale," a variety of
oysters apparently entirely unknown to the landlord, and interviewed the
_chef_ himself. In a few moments a table was spread in a corner of the
porch overlooking a garden gay with hollyhocks, and a dinner was ordered
of broiled chicken, French rolls, some radishes, half a dozen apricots,
and a fragment of cheese. When it was over,--Baeader had been served in an
adjoining apartment,--there remained not the amount mentioned in a former
out-of-door feast, but sufficient to pack at least one basket,--in this
case a paper box,--the drumsticks being stowed below, dunnaged by two
rolls, and battened down with fragments of cheese and three apricots.

"What's this for, Baeader? Have you not had enough to eat?"

Baeader's face wore its blandest smile. "On ze contraire, I have made for
myself a most excellent repast; but if monsieur will consider--ze dinner
is a prix fixe, and monsieur can eat it all, or it shall remain for ze
proprietaire. Zis, if monsieur will for one moment attend, will be stupid
extraordinaire. I have made ze investigation, and discover zat ze post
depart from Cancale in one hour. How simple zen to affeex ze stamps,--only
five sous,--and in ze morning, even before Mme. Baeader is out of ze bed,
it is in Paris--a souvenir from Cancale. How charmante ze surprise!"

I discovered afterward that since he had joined us Baeader's own domestic
larder had been almost daily enriched with crumbs like these from Dives's
table.

The _fete,_ despite Baeader's assurances, lacked one necessary feature.
There was no music. The band was away with the boats, the triangle
probably cooking, the French horn and clarinet hauling seines.

But Baeader, not to be outdone by any _contretemps_, started off to find an
old blind fellow who played an accordeon, collecting five francs of me in
advance for his pay, under the plea that it was quite horrible that the
young people could not dance. "While one is young, monsieur, music is ze
life of ze heart."

He brought the old man back, and with a certain care and tenderness set
him down on a stone bench, the sightless eyes of the poor peasant turning
up to the stars as he swayed the primitive instrument back and forth. The
young girls clung to Baeader's arm, and ble