"That little fellow promises well!" he exclaimed.
"I am convinced that he will end by breaking my switch. But how does it happen that you didn't bring your maid Adelaide?"
"Oh! don't talk to me about that girl, I beg!"
"What! can it be that the faithful Adelaide stole from you?"
"No, it wasn't her honesty that gave out; it was something else. Ah! who would ever have thought, who would ever have believed---- An ugly, thin, shapeless creature. Oh! men have very beastly tastes sometimes!"
"The deuce! do you mean to say that Capucine----"
"What! oh! no, indeed, monsieur; it wasn't my husband! Ah!"
And Madame Capucine looked up at the sky with an expression which seemed to say:
"Ballot, monsieur; Ballot, our young clerk!"
"The devil! that young man you liked so well?"
"To be sure. As if anyone could have dreamed! He behaved very well at first."
"But was it perfectly certain? People are so ill-natured!"
"They were caught, monsieur; caught among the bunches of onions."
"Enough! tell me no more; you would bring tears to my eyes."
"So, as you can imagine, I purified my house on the instant; I dismissed Mademoiselle Adelaide."
"He went of his own accord. We might have forgiven him, perhaps; he was so young!"
"Of course, and the smell of onions goes to the heart."
"But Monsieur Ballot chose to lose his head, and away he went."
"You will find somebody to take his place."
"That's what I'm looking for at this moment. Ah! Monsieur Cherami, a young man who had--my whole confidence! You can't rely on anything or anybody nowadays!"
"That's the only way to avoid being taken in."
The stout lady heaved a tremendous sigh and leaned heavily on the arm of her escort, who said to himself:
"I wonder if she would like to have me replace Monsieur Ballot?--Thanks! I have my cue."
In due time, they arrived at Madame Duponceau's house. She was a little woman, who shook her head constantly when conversing, so that she seemed always to reply in the negative to the questions that were asked her. She received Cherami with cordiality, although she barely knew him; but she liked company, and was especially eager to have people admire her house. Cherami was inclined to favor admiring her breakfast first; and, as the young Capucines supported that idea, they repaired at once to the dining-room.
