Brother Jacques Part 6

Since Mamma Germeuil had seen at the end of the garden that face which seemed to her of ill augury, she did not find so many attractions about the house, and seemed less delighted with its situation. But as her children were so intensely eager to purchase it, and as she realized how childish her own repugnance was, she did not oppose the conclusion of the bargain.

The little man tried at first to impose upon the strangers; but when they proposed to pay cash, he consented to take off something from the price, and the bargain was concluded. In his delight, the proprietor invited the ladies to come in and rest, and even went so far as to offer them a gla.s.s of wine and water. But they had no desire to become better acquainted with the old miser; moreover, the ladies were hungry, and they had only time to go to the notary's office before dinner.

The little old man did not insist upon their stopping at his house; he took off his nightcap, sent the concierge to fetch an old, shabby, felt hat, which he carried under his arm in order to preserve it longer; he put on a coat once nut-colored, but of which no one could possibly divine the color now, and did not forget the bill-headed cane, upon which he leaned the more heavily, because he thought that by using a support for part of his weight, he would save the soles of his shoes.

They went to the office of the local notary; he received the details of the bargain, and promised to have the deed ready in due form in twenty-four hours. Edouard agreed to return to the village on the following day with the purchase money, and Monsieur Renare,--such was the proprietor's name,--agreed to be punctual and to turn over the keys of the house. Everything being settled, they separated, each party well pleased with his bargain.

VI

A DINNER PARTY IN THE COUNTRY

"Now let us think about dinner," said Edouard, as he and the ladies left the notary's, "and let us try to find the best restaurant in the place."

"We ought to have asked Monsieur Renare that, my dear."

"No indeed! I am sure that the old miser goes to the vilest wine-shop, in order to dine the cheaper. But I see yonder a very good-looking house--it is a wine-shop and restaurant,--the _Epee Couronnee_, 'wedding and other parties.'--What do you say to that, mesdames?"

"Very good; let us go to the Epee Couronnee."

They entered the country restaurant; the outer walls were adorned with hams, pies, turkeys, chickens, game, and bunches of asparagus; but as a rule the kitchen of a village restaurant never contains more than one fourth of what is painted on the front wall; and even so, the ovens are often cold.

When our Parisians entered the common room of the Epee Couronnee, the proprietor, who was also chief cook, was occupied in shaving, his little scullion was playing with a cup-and-ball, the mistress of the house was knitting, and the two girls who did the heavy work were washing and ironing.

"The deuce!" said Edouard in an undertone, "this doesn't indicate a very well-heated oven! However, in war we must do as soldiers do!"

"Yes, my dear; besides, appet.i.te is a very good cook."

At sight of two fashionably-dressed ladies, escorted by a fine gentleman, and of a cabriolet in front of the door, everybody in the restaurant was up in arms. The proprietor threw razor and shaving-mug aside; he partly wiped his face, and came forward, half shaved, to meet the newcomers, to whom he made repeated bows. His wife hastily dropped her knitting and rolled it up, as she made a curtsy, and placed it on a table on which the girls were ironing; whereupon Goton, one of the servants, who then had in her hand a very hot iron, looked up to examine the fine ladies who were coming in, and placed the iron on her mistress's hand, thinking that she was ironing an ap.r.o.n.

Her mistress uttered a piercing cry when she felt the burn; she jumped back and overturned the tub; the little scullion, in his fright, concealed his cup-and-ball in a saucepan, and the ladies recoiled, in order not to walk in soap-suds, with which the floor was flooded.

The host confounded himself in apologies, trying at the same time to pacify his wife.

"A thousand pardons, mesdames and monsieur; pray walk in.--Hush, wife!

it won't amount to anything; I do much worse things to myself every day.--We have everything that you can possibly desire, mesdames; the kitchen is well stocked.--It was that idiot of a Goton, who never looks to see what she is doing. Put some potato on it, wife.--But step in, mesdames, and select a bedroom or a private dining-room, whichever you please."

The ladies were in no hurry to enter, because they did not want to wet their feet. At last one of the maids brought a long board, which they used as a bridge to pa.s.s into another room; they made the pa.s.sage, laughing heartily, and looked forward to much enjoyment at an inn where their arrival had already caused such a sensation.

"Well, monsieur le traiteur, what can you give us?" Murville asked the cook, who followed them, boasting of his talent in serving a dinner promptly.

"Why, monsieur, I can give you a rabbit stew which will please you."

"Parbleu! Rabbit stew is never missing in these places! But we don't care much for it; have you any cutlets?"

"Yes, monsieur, I can easily get some."

"And a fowl?"

"I have one which should be excellent."

"Fresh eggs?"

"Oh! as to eggs, I don't have any but fresh ones."

"Well, that is all that we want; with lettuce and some of your best wine we shall dine very well, shall we not, mesdames?"

"Yes, but don't keep us waiting, for we are positively starving."

"Never fear, mesdames, it will take but a moment."

Master Bonneau returned to his staff.

"Look alive," he said, tying his handkerchief around his waist, which he only did on great occasions; "look alive, wife and girls, we have swells to feed, and we have nothing except the regulation rabbit stew, which unfortunately they don't want, and that infernal fowl which I roasted a week ago for a Jew who ate nothing but fresh pork, and which I haven't been able to do anything with since; I hope that it is going to be eaten at last. Goton, put it on the spit again; that will be the fifth time, I believe; but never mind, I will make a gravy with the juice of that beef _a la mode_, and it will be delicious."

"Mon Dieu! what a horrible burn! This is the seventh potato that I have sc.r.a.ped on it."

"Parbleu! you give me a happy idea: these grated potatoes are all cooked, put 'em aside, wife, and I will make a souffle for our guests.

You, Fanfan, run to the butcher and get some cutlets, and you, Marianne, go and buy some eggs, and come back and pick some lettuce. By the way, light me a candle, as quick as possible, and give me some wax, so that I can put seals on my bottles; that makes people think that the wine is better."

Everyone set about executing Master Bonneau's orders, while he lighted his fires and turned up his sleeves with an important air, in order to heat water for the eggs; Goton put the unlucky fowl on the spit, praying heaven that it might be the last time; Marianne brought eggs and went out into the garden to pluck lettuce; and Madame Bonneau grated potato after potato, which she placed upon her burn, and then carefully collected in a plate, as her husband had directed, because a clever cook makes use of everything.

But Fanfan returned from the butcher's with sad news: "there were no cutlets, because the mayor had bought the last that morning; but if they could wait a while, the shop-boy, who had gone to sharpen his knives, would come back, and they would kill a sheep."

"The devil! this is mighty unpleasant," said Master Bonneau, as he put his eggs in the water; "well, I must go and consult with the company."

The host entered the room where the ladies and the young man were beginning to get impatient for their dinner, while they laughed over the scene which their unexpected arrival had caused.

"Well, are we going to dine?" said Edouard when he caught sight of their host.

"Instantly, monsieur."

"Your instants are very long, monsieur le traiteur."

"I came to get your opinion on the cutlets."

"What's that?"

"There aren't any just now at the butcher's; but the man is coming back, and he is going to kill a sheep; so if you will take a turn in the garden until they are cooked----"

"Parbleu! we should have to wait a long while! A pleasant suggestion that! We didn't come here to inspect your bed of lettuce."

"Come, come, my dear, don't get excited," said Adeline, laughing at the placidity of their host, and the irritation of Edouard, "we will do without cutlets."

"May I replace that dish with an excellent rabbit stew?"