u between ten and eleven o'clock. Young Renault
rejoiced in advance over the happiness of his _fiancee_. What a joy it
would be for her and for him when he should present to her the
miraculous man whom she had protected against the horrors of the tomb,
and whom he had resuscitated in answer to her entreaty!

Meanwhile Gothon, proud and happy to the same degree that she had before
been scandalized and annoyed, spread the table for a dozen persons. Her
yoke-fellow, a young rustic of eighteen, half-fledged in the commune of
Sablons, helped her with all his might, and amused her with his
conversation.

"Well, now, Ma'm'selle Gothon," said he, setting down a pile of empty
plates, "this is what one might call a ghost coming out of its box to
upset the commissary and the sub-prefect!"

"Ghost, if you'll have it so, Celestin; it's certain-sure that he comes
from a good ways, poor young man! But perhaps 'ghost' isn't a proper
word to use in speaking of our masters."

"Is it true, then, that he has come to be our master too? Too many of
_them_ come every day. I'd like it better if more servants and help
would come!"

"Shut up, you lizard of laziness! When the gentlemen leaves tips for us
on going away, you don't complain because there's only two to divide
'em."

"That's all well enough as far as it goes! I've carried more than fifty
buckets of water for him to simmer in, that Colonel of yours, and I know
mighty well that he won't give me a cent, for he hasn't a farthing in
his pockets. We've got to believe that money isn't plenty in the country
he just came from!"

"They say there's wills in his favor in Strasburg; a gentleman who'd
hurt his fortune----"

"Tell me now, Ma'm'selle Gothon--you who read a little book every
Sunday--where he could have been, our Colonel, while he was not in this
world."

"Eh! In purgatory, of course!"

"Then why don't you ask him about that famous Baptiste, your sweetheart
in 1837, who let himself tumble off a roof, and on whose account you
have so many masses said? They ought to have met each other down there!"

"That's very possible."

"Unless Baptiste has left there since the time when you paid so much
money to get him out."

"Very well. I'll go this very evening to the Colonel's chamber, and,
since he's not proud, he'll tell me all he knows about it.--But,
Celestin, are'nt you never going to act different? Here you've rubbed my
silver pickle knives on the grindstone again!"

Th