"Hyacinthe, ahoy! Hyacinthe!"
"What is it?"
"I have just seen your daughter."
"What of it?"
"Well, there's a fellow with her."
"Whereabouts are they?"
"In the ditch over there, at the corner of Guillaume's field."
On hearing this Hyacinthe raised both hands furiously to heaven.
"All right; thanks," said he to the peasant. "I'll fetch my whip. The dirty drab! Bringing dishonour on me like this, indeed!"
Having returned into his house, he took down from behind the door, on the left, a long horse-whip which he only used on these occasions; then with the whip under his arm he set out, creeping past the bushes as if after some game, so as to come upon the guilty couple unawares.