Monsieur Bergeret in Paris

THE WORKS OF ANATOLE FRANCE IN AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION EDITED BY JAMES LEWIS MAY AND BERNARD MIALL
MONSIEUR BERGERET IN PARIS
BY ANATOLE FRANCE
A TRANSLATION BY B. DRILLIEN
LONDON: JOHN LANE THE BODLEY HEAD LTD. NEW YORK: JOHN LANE COMPANY: MCMXXII
SECOND EDITION
PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, LONDON AND BECCLES.
MONSIEUR BERGERET IN PARIS
Monsieur Bergeret was seated at table taking his frugal evening meal. Riquet lay at his feet on a tapestry cushion. Riquet had a religious soul; he rendered divine honours to mankind. He regarded his master as very good and very great. But it was chiefly when he saw him at table that he realized the sovereign greatness and goodness of Monsieur Bergeret.
If, to Riquet, all things pertaining to food were precious and impressive, those pertaining to the food of man were sacred. He venerated the dining-room as a temple, the table as an altar. During meals he kept his place at his master’s feet, in silence and immobility.
“It’s a spring chicken,” said old Angélique as she placed the dish upon the table.
“Good. Be kind enough to carve it, then,” said Monsieur Bergeret, who was a poor hand with weapons and quite hopeless as a carver.