"
After such a beginning, it is easy to imagine how the visit went on.
Rouget invited his sister to dinner on the next day but one.
We may here mention that during these three days the Knights of
Idleness captured an immense quantity of rats and mice, which were
kept half-famished until they were let loose in the grain one fine
night, to the number of four hundred and thirty-six, of which some
were breeding mothers. Not content with providing Fario's store-house
with these boarders, the Knights made holes in the roof of the old
church and put in a dozen pigeons, taken from as many different farms.
These four-footed and feathered creatures held high revels,--all the
more securely because the watchman was enticed away by a fellow who
kept him drunk from morning till night, so that he took no care of his
master's property.
Madame Bridau believed, contrary to the opinion of old Hochon, that
her brother has as yet made no will; she intended asking him what were
his intentions respecting Mademoiselle Brazier, as soon as she could
take a walk with him alone,--a hope which Flore and Maxence were
always holding out to her, and, of course, always disappointing.
Meantime the Knights were searching for a way to put the Parisians to
flight, and finding none that were not impracticable follies.
At the end of a week--half the time the Parisians were to stay in
Issoudun--the Bridaus were no farther advanced in their object than
when they came.
Pages:
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571
572
573
574
575
576
577