here for a hundred francs a
week. I cannot breathe there; I grow limp. It has a dreadful river right
in front of the hotels--you will have benefit. I have heard that there
are seventy-two separate smells in Cologne--in Quimper the seventy-two
are concentrated into one."

This was not encouraging; but we knew that as Catherine's strong nature
saw things in extremes, so her opinions had to be taken cum grano salis.
In spite of what she said, we departed with much hope and expectation.

Everyone assisted in seeing us off the premises. They declared it to be
a melancholy pleasure, a statement hard to reconcile with their beaming
faces. Catherine alone was grave and immovable as the Man with the Iron
Mask. Yet she actually presented us--this downright, determined,
apparently unromantic woman--with buttonholes of small white roses tied
up with white ribbon: ribbon that in our grandmothers' days, I believe,
was called _love_ ribbon.

"We shall look quite bridal," we said, as she placed them in the
destined receptacle next our hearts. "Catherine, why have you never
married?"

Catherine laughed. "Thereby hangs a tale," she replied, actually
blushing. "It has not been for want of offers, you may be sure; I might
have married twenty times over had I so wished." And so we gathered that
Catherine, too, had had her little romance. Perhaps it had helped to
form her character, and develop her capacities. "And now, be sure that
some day you come back to Morlaix," she added, as she finally
accomplished her delicate task to her satisfaction.

"Shall we find you here?" we asked. "You may have married and gone
away."

"To toil and slave like Madame Mirmiton!" cried Catherine. "I would not
marry if it was the President of the Republic, or even the Marquis de
Carabas. Besides, who would have me at my age? No? no! I know when I am
well off. Men, do you see, are not angels; they are much nearer allied
to the opposite, sauf votre respect! Of course, _gentlemen_, I admit,
_are_ angels--sometimes. But then, no gentleman would have me. No; I am
a fixture, here, every bit as much as the doors and the windows.
Monsieur and Madame and the hotel would go to ruin without me."

And, although Monsieur and Madame assisted at this conference,
Catherine's statement went uncontradicted. She was certainly their right
hand, and added no little to the popularity of the establishment.

Finally we were off. The omnibus took our traps, whilst we walked up