"That's right, my child," pompously exclaimed the grandsire. "Never, never forget the monsters who troubled your innocent sleep with their infamous crimes."
"Oh, cut it out, grandpop," was the somewhat irreverent reply. "Aren't you afraid you might miss forty winks?" and then turning to his mother, "I say, mamma, if one of them lands on our house, you promise you'll wake me up, won't you? I want to see everything, and last time and the time before, I missed it!"
"Yes, darling, of course, but go to sleep, there's a good boy."
A tall, good-looking girl over in one corner openly gave vent to her sentiments.
"The idiots! the idiots! if they think they can scare us that way! They'd far better not waste their time, and let us sleep. It isn't a bit funny any more, and I've got to work just the same to-morrow, Boche or no Boche!"
Two rickety old creatures clasped each other in arms, and demanded in trembling voices if there was any real danger! This produced a ripple of merriment.
Monsieur Duplan, the butcher, then asked the ladies' permission to smoke, the which permission was graciously accorded.
"Why, if I'd only thought, I'd have brought down another lamp and my work. It's too bad to waste so much time."
"I have my knitting. You don't need any light for that."
"Where on earth did you get wool? How lucky you are!"