Chapter 3

           Thenextday,asshewasgettingup,shesawtheclerkonthePlace.Shehadonadressing-gown.Helookedupandbowed.Shenoddedquicklyandreclosedthewindow.

           Leonwaitedalldayforsixo’clockintheeveningtocome,butongoingtotheinn,hefoundnoonebutMonsieurBinet,alreadyattable.Thedinneroftheeveningbeforehadbeenaconsiderableeventforhim;hehadnevertillthentalkedfortwohoursconsecutivelytoa"lady."Howthenhadhebeenabletoexplain,andinsuchlanguage,thenumberofthingsthathecouldnothavesaidsowellbefore?Hewasusuallyshy,andmaintainedthatreservewhichpartakesatonceofmodestyanddissimulation.

           AtYonvillehewasconsidered"well-bred."Helistenedtotheargumentsoftheolderpeople,anddidnotseemhotaboutpolitics—aremarkablethingforayoungman.Thenhehadsomeaccomplishments;hepaintedinwater-colours,couldreadthekeyofG,andreadilytalkedliteratureafterdinnerwhenhedidnotplaycards.MonsieurHomaisrespectedhimforhiseducation;MadameHomaislikedhimforhisgood-nature,forheoftentookthelittleHomaisintothegarden—littlebratswhowerealwaysdirty,verymuchspoilt,andsomewhatlymphatic,liketheirmother.Besidestheservanttolookafterthem,theyhadJustin,thechemist’sapprentice,asecondcousinofMonsieurHomais,whohadbeentakenintothehousefromcharity,andwhowasusefulatthesametimeasaservant.

           Thedruggistprovedthebestofneighbours.