“Oh! if another came,” finished Monsieur Vuillaume, “you would have neither heart nor brains. Dash it all! one must be serious in life, one should restrain oneself, when one has not got hundreds and thousands to spend in pleasures.”
And, turning toward Octave, he added:
“You see, sir, I am decorated. Well! I may tell you that, so as not to dirty too many ribbons, I don’t wear my decoration at home. Therefore, if I deprive my wife and myself of the pleasure of being decorated in our own home, our children can certainly deprive themselves of the pleasure of having daughters. No, sir, there are no little economies.”
But the Pichons assured him of their obedience. They were not likely to be caught at that game again!
“To suffer what I’ve suffered!” said Marie, still quite pale.
“I would sooner cut my leg off,” declared Jules.
The Vuillaumes nodded their heads with a satisfied air. They had their word, so they forgave them that time. And, as ten was striking by the clock, they tenderly embraced all round; and Jules put on his hat to see them to the omnibus. This resumption of the old ways affected them so much that they embraced a second time on the landing. When they had taken their departure, Marie, who stood watching them go down, leaning over the balustrade, beside Octave, took the latter back to the dining-room, saying:
“Ah! mamma is not unkind, and she is quite right: children are no joke!”
She had shut the door, and was clearing the table of the glasses which still lay about. The narrow room, with its smoky lamp, was quite warm from the little family jollification. Lilitte continued to slumber on a corner of the American cloth.
“I’m off to bed,” murmured Octave.