"My name is Cunette," cried the concierge; "and I maintain that it is a better name than your Cudechausse."
"I tell you it is Custos, you ignoramus."
"Silence!--This, monseigneur, who is your gardener, is named Olitor, the real name of his profession. Olitor, present your spade."
"What nonsense is that you are talking?" said the gardener angrily; "my name is Vincent. What have you to say against that name? Do you suppose that at my age you are going to stuff a new one into my ears?"
"Olitor, my dear fellow, is very easy to say."
"Catch me answer that name! It's a dog's name."
"It's a gardener's name; just look in the dictionary."
"Oh! let me alone! Do you suppose dictionaries grow in my garden?"
"I tell you that you are called Olitor by monseigneur's orders."
"And I tell you that our master can't order such silly nonsense as that!"
"Silly nonsense! The fruit of my long investigation!"
"My dear Férulus," said Robineau, stepping forward majestically, "I do justice to your learning, and I know that so far as erudition is concerned you could swallow all these fellows without winking; but I shall not give new names to my servants; it would be likely to mix me all up; so I shall simply call them by the name of their profession, that is to say, concierge, gardener, valet; I like that better."
"_Vive monseigneur!_" said Cunette, tossing his hat in the air; while Férulus turned away, muttering between his teeth:
"This is what comes of taking pains to establish a household with taste! This is the way learning is encouraged! _Numerus stultorum est infinitus!_"
Robineau, having made the acquaintance of all the rest of his new servants, came to Jeannette, who was the last in the line, and who presented the foot-warmer to him.
"What is that thing, my dear?" said Robineau, as he looked at it.
"Why, monseigneur, it is an _attribute_, as that gentleman all dressed in black called it, who engaged me to work for you."
"What, do you mean that you have entered my service to hand me foot-warmers? It seems to me that in summer you might find something better to do than that."
"Monseigneur de la Roche-Noire, that is a figure of speech," said Férulus, stepping forward; "this girl is here to do everything, and principally to warm the bed when you want it done; but as I could find no warming pan at the moment, she offers you the implement of her duties."