wherewith he himself would repair his clothes, and
this far more neatly than many a woman. At the
sight of him Madame Roustan burst into sobs, so
relieved was she by his timely arrival; and she pointed
to the hopelessly blemished door and then to Mireio,
still intent on her hunting.
'But why has the dirty beast come here?' she sobbed,
'Not only has she upset my new can of oil and ruined
my beautifully painted door, but now she must start
disengaging her ticks — she has surely more ticks on
that carcase of hers than any stray dog this side of
Lyon.'
Goundran said: 'I think she has come for the child
— it is strange when one sees a dumb creature so
devoted. As for her ticks, I blame those who own her.
Jouse should get some paste from the vet.' And he
gazed at Mireio with his bright blue eyes in which
there was always a look of the sea, and just now a
flicker of real understanding. 'Come,5 he urged,
stroking the beast's tawny head, 'come Mireio, you
need have no anxiety for Christophe.' Then he led
her gently to the door of the shop, and when Goundran
said: *Va t'en!' Mireio obeyed him.
By now Madame Roustan was drying her tears, the
while her heart began beating more quickly, for
Goundran was a lovely man in her sight. But she
thought: 'AH these men of the sea are so strange.
How strange was the way that he spoke to that
bitch —it was almost as though he considered her
human. Paste from the vet he would have Jouse buy.
Te! And what next would he have him do? He must
think the poor Jouse has plenty of money!' Then she
went to a drawer for the needles and threads, and
finally got out a large box of buttons.
Goundran made his selection very slowly and
gravely, for when a fisherman mends his own clothes
— however expert he may have become— he must
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