“I expected you yesterday,” said Michael Arout, rather dryly.
“Forgive me, father,” replied the young workman, “but I had business at St. Germain’s. I was not able to come back till it was very late, and then the master kept me.”
The joiner looked at his son sidewise, and then took up his hammer again.
“All right,” muttered he, in a grumbling tone; “when we are with other people we must do as they wish; but there are some who would like better to eat brown bread with their own knife than partridges with the silver fork of a master.”
“And I am one of those, father,” replied Robert, merrily, “but, as the proverb says, ‘you must shell the peas before you can eat them.’ It was necessary that I should first work in a great workshop—”
“To go on with your plan of the staircase,” interrupted Michael, ironically.
“You must now say Monsieur Raymond’s plan, father,” replied Robert, smiling.
“Why?”
“Because I have sold it to him.”
The joiner, who was planing a board, turned round quickly.