had stopped to chat with the corn-chandler's wife
about the prices of food, Loup's persistent asthma,
and the corn-chandler's son who was Jouse's godchild
— Marie had a circular thrust into her hand by the
young man from Paris.
'What is this?' she enquired.
'If Madame will give herself the trouble to read it.
. . . And you also, Madame/ he said nonchalantly
as he handed another to the good Madame Simon.
The corn-chandler's wife clipped on her glasses:
'Te, it is Kahn, that new man at the port who will
open his shop this afternoon. I think I must go, it
may well be amusing. Not that we have any money
to buy, Guillaume's business college has cost a great
deal, but the boy is so clever that one does not regret
. . . and now that he will come home and help his
parents. . . . Such a fine boy he grows; and he
sent his love to his godfather when he last wrote
from Marseille: "Give my love to Papa Jouse," he
said* Now what have I done with that dear child's
letter? I thought I had it here in my bag. . . .'
But Marie, excusing herself on the plea that she
would be late, turned and hurried away with the
circular feeling like lead in her pocket.
Arrived home she went in search of her husband.
He was waiting about in the kitchen with the children;
Loup was peering into a simmering saucepan and
sniffing its contents, Christophe was reading, and
Jouse was staring out of the window.
She thought suddenly: 'My man ... his back
looks quite old ... he is ageing, my man.9 And
this thought was so painful that the stab of it made
her speak almost sharply: 'Kahn has many fine
things to sell,' she announced, 'and moreover he will
sell them at popular prices. Look at this,41 and she held
out the circular, 'it is being distributed all over the
town —he is going to open this very afternoon!'
243