§2
Nobody came to Saint Loup that summer apart
from the usual handful of artists. Beauyais had
apparently forgotten his land —he was said to be
wandering about in Spain, and his satellites were
presumably with him. Mere Melanie managed to
let two bedrooms and Madame Roustan had one
humble boarder, but the Simon's spare room was
unoccupied and so was the attic of Hermitte the
baker.
Kahn's first villa was still very far from completion
and could not be finished before the autumn, yet
he went about smiling his confident smile: 'Remember
that Rome was not built in a day. Believe me, my
friends, I have no misgivings.'
And they did believe him, the more so, perhaps,
because he himself was continuing to spend, having
recently turned a commodious shed into something
not very unlike Jouse's workshop. The Galeries Kahn
could now undertake repairs thanks to a joiner whom
Kahn had imported, and whom people were finding
both skilful and sprack, so that doubtless this venture,
also, would prosper.
EusŁbe, however, was content with the fact that
despite the fine weather the town remained empty:
*It would seem,' he remarked with a satisfied grin,
'that the fat golden calves prefer other pastures.
Possibly our watchftil dragon, la Tarasque, objected
to so much insolent browsing; a fine beast she remains,
a most worthy beast, in spite of that Marthe and her
holy water! In any case we are now left in peace;
I told you how it would be, my good J6usŁ/ Then
as Jouse neither looked up nor replied: *Eh bien, I
shall take myself off to the cafe until the black crow
on your shoulder has flown. . . .' And Jouse did
not attempt to detain him, for these days he must