cale,"--here the governor's brow relaxed
again,--"then it was imposseeble,--if messieurs will pardon,--quite
imposseeble for less zan ten francs."

So the price was agreed upon, and the hat, now with a decided metallic
sheen, once more swept the cobblestones of the courtyard. The ceremony
being over, its owner then drew off the green kid gloves, folded them flat
on his knee, guided them into the inside pocket of the brown coat with the
assorted bindings as carefully as if they had been his letter of credit,
and declared himself at our service.

It was when he had been installed as custodian not only of our hand
luggage, but to a certain extent of our bank accounts and persons for some
days, that he urged upon the governor the advisability of our at once
proceeding to Cancale, or Cancale speciale, as he insisted on calling it.
I immediately added my own voice to his pleadings, arguing that Cancale
must certainly be on the sea. That, from my recollection of numerous
water-colors and black-and-whites labeled in the catalogue, "Coast near
Cancale," and the like, I was sure there must be the customary fish-girls,
with shrimp-nets carried gracefully over one shoulder, to say nothing of
brawny-chested fishermen with flat, rimless caps, having the usual little
round button on top.

The governor, however, was obdurate. He had a way of being obdurate when
anything irritated him, and Baeader began to be one of these things.
Cancale might be all very well for me, but how about the hotel for him,
who had nothing to do, no pictures to paint? He had passed that time in
his life when he could sleep under a boat with water pouring down the back
of his neck through a tarpaulin full of holes.

"The hotel, messieurs! Imagine! Is it posseeble that monsieur imagine for
one moment that Baeader would arrange such annoyances? I remember ze hotel
quite easily. It is not like, of course, ze Grand Hotel of Paris, but it
is simple, clean, ze cuisine superb, and ze apartment fine and hospitable.
Remembare it is Baeader."

"And the baths?" broke out the governor savagely.

Baeader's face was a study; a pained, deprecating expression passed over it
as he uncovered his head, his glazed headpiece glistening in the sun.

"Baths, monsieur--and ze water of ze sea everywhere?"

These assurances of future comfort were not overburdened with details, but
they served to satisfy and calm the governor, I pleading, meanwhile, that
Baeader had always proved