mauve gloves, and a mauve hat with white ostrich
tips — the costume very ill became her stout figure.
But Jan in his beautifully cut Paris clothes —the
cloth of which Marie observed was not glossy — with
a bow that was certainly smaller than Christophe's,
and a sleeve badge that had certainly much shorter
ends and in consequence looked less showy but neater,
with a missal of finely tooled crushed morocco, the
gift of Madame la Gomtesse de Berac—Jan indeed
seemed well worthy of the Church parade that had
been so adroitly contrived by his mother, and Marie
was ashamed to hear herself sigh as she glanced from
this mirror of fashion to Christophe. Was Christophe's
white bow just a trifle too large? Ai! las, what a pity
that all her stale bread had not moved that greasy
mark on his collar. And his Prayer-Book . . . oh,
well, as Monsieur had declared . . . still, she did
wish that it could have been of real leather!
She herself had had scarcely any time to dress, and
she now felt dowdy in her faded blue foulard. Loup
had kept her, then Anfos had needed her help, and so,
of course, had Christophe and his father. But how
smart Jouse looked in his striped brown suit and new
made-up tie — that at least was a comfort. And how
honest and manly her Christophe looked—he possessed
a far finer figure than his cousin.
Madame Roustan was speaking: *He is lucky
indeed in having a friend like the Comtesse de Berac.
Such a missal! I tremble to think of the cost! And
the suit, I believe, was made by the tailor who makes
for Madame la Comtesse's son —as you may have
heard, Jouse, he is in the army, Cuirassiers, I believe.5
All these damned repetitions! Jouse turned and
slapped viciously at a mosquito.
The cousins eyed each other and smiled. Jan said
softly to Christophe: 'Show me your Prayer-Book,5
Then: CI really like it much better than mine — mine
221