al son of a peasant, rather heavy in gait, with an
arched back, with movements that were slow and precise, and an
obstinate tranquil manner. One felt that his apparel concealed round and
well-developed muscles, and a body of thick hard flesh. Therese examined
him with curiosity, glancing from his fists to his face, and experienced
little shivers when her eyes fell on his bull-like neck.

Camille spread out his Buffon volumes, and his serials at 10 centimes
the number, to show his friend that he also studied. Then, as if
answering an inquiry he had been making of himself for some minutes, he
said to Laurent:

"But, surely you must know my wife? Don't you remember that little
cousin who used to play with us at Vernon?"

"I had no difficulty in recognising Madame," answered Laurent, looking
Therese full in the face.

This penetrating glance troubled the young woman, who, nevertheless,
gave a forced smile, and after exchanging a few words with Laurent and
her husband, hurried away to join her aunt, feeling ill at ease.

As soon as they had seated themselves at table, and commenced the soup,
Camille thought it right to be attentive to his friend.

"How is your father?" he inquired.

"Well, I don't know," answered Laurent. "We are not on good terms; we
ceased corresponding five years ago."

"Bah!" exclaimed the clerk, astonished at such a monstrosity.

"Yes," continued the other, "the dear man has ideas of his own. As he
is always at law with his neighbours, he sent me to college, in the fond
hope that later on, he would find in me an advocate who would win him
all his actions. Oh! daddy Laurent has naught but useful ambitions; he
even wants to get something out of his follies."

"And you wouldn't be an advocate?" inquired Camille, more and more
astonished.

"Faith, no," answered his friend with a smile. "For a couple of years
I pretended to follow the classes, so as to draw the allowance of 1,200
francs which my father made me. I lived with one of my college chums,
who is a painter, and I set about painting also. It amused me. The
calling is droll, and not at all fatiguing. We smoked and joked all the
livelong day."

The Raquin family opened their eyes in amazement.

"Unfortunately," continued Laurent, "this could not last. My father
found out that I was telling him falsehoods. He stopped my 100 francs
a month, and invited me to return and plough the land with him. I then
tried to paint pictures on religious