Jan said: 'I am sorry/
And Christophe replied by presenting his cousin
with a brand new marble which might well have been
the twin of the one that was lost: Tlease give it to me
all over again/
So Jan solemnly handed him back the marble.
§2
A few days later Jan went to Eusebe, and he said:
'Christophe greatly desires a pair of sandals. I have
only three sous so I cannot pay you. . . . Do you
think you could possibly make them for nothing? If
ou will do this I will pray a long prayer to Sant
an Pami de Dieu for your vineyards/
Eusebe rolled his black eye and looked fierce: cHo,
ho! So our Christophe now wishes for sandals. And
what will our Christophe's godmother think?'
'I cannot imagine,5 Jan answered gravely. Though
indeed he did not very much care at that moment
what his mother would think: 'I will pray two long
prayers if you wish, Eusebe/
But now Eusebe appeared to be outraged by so
unworthy and mean a proposal: 'Not enough, not
enough, I must have nine long prayers!'
'Very well, to-morrow I will start a Novena!'
Then Eusebe laughed, and he patted Jan's shoulder:
Tetit sot, I dp not want your long prayers. The good
saints are unlikely to be my friends, as I do not doubt
your dear maman has told you. Nevertheless I will
do as you ask; and when you have become a very
fat bishop I will send in my bill and then you shall
pay. Meanwhile tell Christophe to come and be
measured/
§3
Familiar though Christophe now was with Eusebe,
he had never yet seen him fitting sandals; Eusebe
. 13*