smiling. el drank to him at his baptismal feast — yes,
I drank to his becoming a fisherman —- and now he
would like me to throw back all my fishes. Is that
not so, little foolish one? Perhaps you believe that
the fishes are Christians!'
But Christophe was feeling pleasantly hungry,
and the pink and white hearts were very alluring,
so that while he had not forgotten the fishes he was
frankly engrossed by the needs of his stomach. He
helped himself to a cake, then a second, then a third,
for they seemed to melt in his mouth and be no more
there when he wanted to taste them; and because the
icing was both sticky and soft he quite unashamedly
licked his fingers. Presently Elise made him sit on her
lap where he felt very restless and rather embarrassed,
for she would keep breathing against his neck, and
her breath was not only hot but it tickled. However,
he endured it patiently, for he was a patient child by
nature. Then Elise began dodging first this way then
that as she tried to see Goundran over his shoulder,
and once she pressed his head down on her breast in
order to get it out of the way ....
'If only she would let me stand up!' thought
Christophe.
Yet he liked Elise who was friendly and young, and
whose cheeks were as pink and white as the hearts of
which, by now, he had eaten a great many. She had
hair so blonde that it reminded him of moonlight,
and small even teeth which he thought very j>retty,
and whenever she spoke to Goundran she smiled —
although perched on her knee Christophe could not
see this — and whenever Goundran spoke to her she
blushed, and her arm would suddenly tighten round
Christophe.
He was speaking to her now: clt is pleasant to see
you with a child on your lap; but, my little Elise, it is
time that you had a son of your own, it is time that we
9*