"I have thrown it into the Seine."
"Was he quite dead?"
"He didn’t stir."
"Anyway, the sack was securely fastened. Justice is done!"
CHAPTER VIII.
IN WHICH MOTHER MICHEL SEARCHES FOR HER CAT.
everal days passed in painful expectation; but the cat, like General Marlborough, did not come back. The despair of Madame de la Grenouillère was sincere, profound, and silent,—all the more intense because it was suppressed. She continually pictured to herself the charming ways of Moumouth, his natural goodness, his superior intelligence. No animal had ever displayed to her so many brilliant qualities; not one of her previous favorites had ever caused her such bitter regrets.
Generous in her misfortune, she did not reproach Mother Michel; on the contrary, the Countess sought to comfort that poor woman, who had given herself up wholly to grief. The Countess said to her one night:—