“Philemon?”
“If he should arrive—”
“Oh! the devil!” said Ninny Moulin, scratching his ear.
“Yes; if Philemon should arrive, what will they say to him? for I may be a long time absent.”
“Three or four months, I suppose.”
“Not more?”
“I should think not.”
“Oh! very good!” said Rose-Pompon. Then, turning towards the greengrocer, she said to her, after a moment’s reflection: “Mother Arsene, if Philemon should come home, you will tell him I have gone out—on business.”
“Yes, mademoiselle.”
“And that he must not forget to feed my pigeons, which are in his study.”