Next day, Sunday, the sale of the Charny estate and the Billet farm was to come off. The latter, at the upset price of four hundred thousand and the other at six hundred thousand in paper money; assignats were dropping fearfully; the gold louis was worth nine hundred and twenty francs in paper.
But, then, nobody ever saw a gold piece nowadays.
Pitou had run all the way back to acquaint Catherine with the good news. He had ventured to anticipate the marriage-day by forty-eight hours, and he was afraid he should vex Catherine.
She did not appear vexed, and he was lifted up among the angels—his namesakes.
But she insisted on his going once more to Aunt Angelique's, to announce the exact date of the wedding-day and invite her to be at the ceremony. She was the bridegroom's sole relative, and though not at all tender toward him, he ought to do the proper thing on his side.
The consequence was that on Thursday morning, Pitou went over to Villers Cotterets to repeat the visit.
Nine o'clock was striking as he got in sight of the house.
The aunt was not on the door-step, but the door was closed any way, as if she expected his call.
He thought that she had stepped out, and he was delighted.
He would have paid the visit, and a polite note with a piece of wedding-cake after the ceremony would acquit the debt to courtesy.