should we not let our back room to some nice young
couple next season? The old sacks can go down to
the cellar," I said, "and if Jouse just casts a look at the
rat-holes ... It seems a real pity to waste that room"/
cHe shall go and see you to-morrow/ promised
Marie.
Meanwhile Kahn enquired of Eusebe one morning:
'Have you not got a cupboard that you can furnish?
You will have to indulge in a good spring-cleaning before
you put anyone into your cupboard, but after all,
that will do you no harm, and I think if you only
take my advice and prepare in time, you will make
some money. We are certain to have a great number of
artists again next summer, and whatever you require
the Galeries Kahn can supply at small cost — I am
anxious to help you, that goes without saying.'
Eusebe5 s black eye began to glow hotly: 'What
is this? A devil of an artist in my convent? My
slumbers disturbed by some young vermenoune who
comes crawling in drunk every night from the cafe?
His absurd contraptions all over my shop; paints
squeezed on my floors, my walls and my ceilings? And
your vile, cheap rubbish polluting my home? By the
vomit of that bilious dragon la Tarasque, you have
made a very insolent mistake! You are speaking to one
who is called Eusebe, and he greatly despises you,
Anatole Kahn, for what you are doing to line your own
pockets. You are canaille, and you have the brain of
a bug; that is why you are hoping to make of this town
a place that is only fit for canaille. If I had my
way I would drown you at once, I would stuff you
head downwards into my cesspool.*
This was awkward indeed, for Kahn had arrived
intending to ask a particular favour. He wanted to
rent a small bit of ground in order to put up a monster
board advertising the charms of the Galeries Kahn,
and as ill luck would have it, the ground was Eusebe's
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