the dog were making a terrible noise; one was
shrieking with pleasure, the other was barking wildly. They were playing
hide-and-seek around the three flower beds, running after each other
like mad.

The dying woman continued to call her children, talking with each one,
imagining that she was dressing them, fondling them, teaching them
how to read: "Come on! Simon repeat: A, B, C, D. You are not paying
attention, listen--D, D, D; do you hear me? Now repeat--"

Cimme exclaimed: "Funny what people say when in that condition."

Mme. Colombel then asked:

"Wouldn't it be better if we were to return to her?"

But Cimme dissuaded her from the idea:

"What's the use? You can't change anything. We are just as comfortable
here."

Nobody insisted. Mme. Cimme observed the two green birds called
love-birds. In a few words she praised this singular faithfulness and
blamed the men for not imitating these animals. Cimme began to laugh,
looked at his wife and hummed in a teasing way: "Tra-la-la,
tra-la-la" as though to cast a good deal of doubt on his own, Cimme's,
faithfulness:

Colombel was suffering from cramps and was rapping the floor with his
cane.

The other cat, its tail pointing upright to the sky, now came in.

They sat down to luncheon at one o'clock.

As soon as he had tasted the wine, Colombel, for whom only the best of
Bordeaux had been prescribed, called the servant back:

"I say, my girl, is this the best stuff that you have in the cellar?"

"No, monsieur; there is some better wine, which was only brought out
when you came."

"Well, bring us three bottles of it."

They tasted the wine and found it excellent, not because it was of a
remarkable vintage, but because it had been in the cellar fifteen years.
Cimme declared:

"That is regular invalid's wine."

Colombel, filled with an ardent desire to gain possession of this
Bordeaux, once more questioned the girl:

"How much of it is left?"

"Oh! Almost all, monsieur; mamz'elle never touched it. It's in the
bottom stack."

Then he turned to his brother-in-law:

"If you wish, Cimme, I would be willing to exchange something else for
this wine; it suits my stomach marvellously."

The chicken had now appeared with its regiment of young ones. The two
women were enjoying themselves throwing crumbs to them.

Joseph and the dog, who had eaten enough, were sent back to the garden.

Queen Hortense was still talking, but in a low, hushed voice, so that
t