"But I made the most of Josue," continued the Master. "The mouth was crooked, but he was clean, clean—I shaved him just in time. And he had good hair for combing to a peaceful look, and he was light to carry—O my good! Go on, what has Josue the centenier to say for himself?"
With a drawling dull indifference, the lank, hatchet-faced servitor of the master servitor of the grave read off the items:
The Relict of Josue Anquetil, Centenier, in account with
Etienne Mahye, Master of Burials.
Item: Livres. Sols. Farth. Paid to Gentlemen of Vingtaine, who carried him to his grave ……………… 4 4 0 Ditto to me, Etienne Mahye, for proper gloves of silk and cotton …………….. 1 0 0 Ditto to me, E. M., for laying of him out and all that appertains …………… 0 7 0 Ditto to me, E. M., for coffin ………… 4 0 0 Ditto to me, E. M., for divers ………… 0 4 0
The Master of Burials interrupted. "Bat'dlagoule, you've forgot blacking for coffin!"
The apprentice made the correction without deigning reply, and then went on
Livres. Sols. Farth.
Ditto to me, E. M., for black for blacking coffin ……………………………… 0 3 0 Ditto to me, E. M., paid out for supper after obs'quies ……………………… 3 2 0 Ditto to me, E. M., paid out for wine (3 pots and 1 pt. at a shilling) for ditto ………………………………. 2 5 6 Ditto to me, E. M., paid out for oil and candle ……………………………… 0 7 0 Ditto to me, E. M., given to the poor, as fitting station of deceased …………… 4 0 0
The apprentice stopped. "That's all," he said.
There was a furious leer on the face of the Master of Burials. So, after all his care, apprentices would never learn to make mistakes on his side. "O my grief, always on the side of the corpse, that can thank nobody for naught!" was his snarling comment.