Never
had he breathed a word, reserving this capital for a great occasion.

The entire amount was paid up about the end of 1840, six months before
his retirement.

Bouvard was no longer a copying-clerk. At first he had continued his
functions through distrust of the future; but he had resigned once he
was certain of his inheritance. However, he willingly went back to MM.
Descambos; and the night before his departure he stood drinks to all the
clerks.

Pecuchet, on the contrary, was morose towards his colleagues, and went
off, on the last day, roughly clapping the door behind him.

He had to look after the packing, to do a heap of commissions, then to
make purchases, and to take leave of Dumouchel.

The professor proposed to him an epistolary interchange between them, of
which he would make use to keep Pecuchet well up in literature; and,
after fresh felicitations, wished him good health.

Barberou exhibited more sensibility in taking leave of Bouvard. He
expressly gave up a domino-party, promised to go to see him "over
there," ordered two aniseed cordials, and embraced him.

Bouvard, when he got home, inhaled over the balcony a deep breath of
air, saying to himself, "At last!" The lights along the quays quivered
in the water, the rolling of omnibuses in the distance gradually ceased.
He recalled happy days spent in this great city, supper-parties at
restaurants, evenings at the theatre, gossips with his portress, all his
habitual associations; and he experienced a sinking of the heart, a
sadness which he dared not acknowledge even to himself.

Pecuchet was walking in his room up to two o'clock in the morning. He
would come back there no more: so much the better! And yet, in order to
leave behind something of himself, he printed his name on the plaster
over the chimney-piece.

The larger portion of the baggage was gone since the night before. The
garden implements, the bedsteads, the mattresses, the tables, the
chairs, a cooking apparatus, and three casks of Burgundy would go by the
Seine, as far as Havre, and would be despatched thence to Caen, where
Bouvard, who would wait for them, would have them brought on to
Chavignolles.

But his father's portrait, the armchairs the liqueur-case, the old
books, the time-piece, all the precious objects were put into a
furniture waggon, which would proceed through Nonancourt, Verneuil, and
Falaise. Pecuchet was to accompany it.

He installed himself beside the conduct