his sides. As for
Del-phin, he was pretty, after he had drunk, with his blond hair, his
rosy face drowned in bliss. Mar-got had gotten up, and silently, for the
present, she contemplated the little fellow with a hard expression.

"Must put them to bed!" cried a voice.

But just then Delphin opened his eyes. He rolled looks of rapture over
the people. They questioned him on all sides with an eagerness that
dazed him somewhat, the more easily since he was still as drunk as a
thrush.

"Well! What?" he stuttered; "it was a little cask--There is no fish.
Therefore, we have caught a little cask."

He did not get beyond that. To every sentence he added simply: "It was
very good!"

"But what was it in the cask?" they asked him hotly.

"Ah! I don't know--it was very good."

By this time Coqueville was burning to know. Every one lowered their
noses to the boat, sniffing vigorously. With one opinion, it smelt of
liquor; only no one could guess what liquor. The Emperor, who flattered
himself that he had drunk of everything that a man can drink, said that
he would see. He solemnly took in the palm of his hand a little of the
liquor that was swimming in the bottom of the bark. The crowd became
all at once silent. They waited. But the Emperor, after sucking up a
mouthful, shook his head as if still badly informed. He sucked twice,
more and more embarrassed, with an air of uneasiness and surprise. And
he was bound to confess:

"I do not know--It's strange--If there was no salt water in it, I would
know, no doubt--My word of honor, it is very strange!"

They looked at him. They stood struck with awe before that which the
Emperor himself did not venture to pronounce. Coqueville contemplated
with respect the little empty cask.

"It was very good!" once more said Delphin, who seemed to be making game
of the people. Then, indicating the sea with a comprehensive sweep,
he added: "If you want some, there is more there--I saw them--little
casks--little casks--little casks--"

And he rocked himself with the refrain which he kept singing, gazing
tenderly at Margot. He had just caught sight of her. Furious, she made a
motion as if to slap him; but he did not even close his eyes; he awaited
the slap with an air of tenderness.

The Abbe Radiguet, puzzled by that unknown tipple, he, too, dipped his
finger in the bark and sucked it. Like the Emperor, he shook his head:
no, he was not familiar with that, it was very extraordinary. They