"The unfortunate girl! She surely means to drown her disappointment in several glasses of wine. If she does she will be capable of coming out again and pursuing me straight into the shop. Good God! What would Madam Lebrenn and mademoiselle think of that!"
A new incident cut short, for a while, the chaste apprehensions of Gildas. A four-wheeled truck, drawn by a strong horse, and containing three large, flat chests about two meters high and inscribed Glass, drew up before the shop. The vehicle was in charge of two men in blouses. One of these, named Dupont, was the same who had been to the shop early that morning in order to recommend to Monsieur Lebrenn not to inspect his supply of grain. The other wore a thick grey beard. They alighted from their seat, and Dupont, the driver, stepping into the shop, greeted Madam Lebrenn and said:
"Has Monsieur Lebrenn not yet returned, madam?"
"No, monsieur."
"We have brought him three cases of looking glasses."
"Very well, monsieur," answered Madam Lebrenn. And calling Gildas, she added:
"Help these gentlemen to bring in the looking glasses."
The shop-assistant obeyed, saying to himself:
"A puzzling house! Three chests with looking glasses—and so heavy! Master, his wife and daughter must be very fond of looking at themselves!"
Dupont and his grey-bearded companion had helped Gildas to place the chests in the room behind the shop, as directed by Madam Lebrenn, when she said to them: