“She yelled so that I should hear:
“'No, I will not give it to you! As the man has had luncheon here, the least he can do is to pay your expenses for the day.'
“Boivin came back to fetch me. As I wished to be polite I bowed to the mistress of the house, stammering:
“'Madame—many thanks—kind welcome.'
“'That's all right,' she replied. 'But do not bring him back drunk, for you will have to answer to me, you know!'
“We set out. We had to cross a perfectly bare plain under the burning sun. I attempted to gather a flower along the road and gave a cry of pain. It had hurt my hand frightfully. They call these plants nettles. And, everywhere, there was a smell of manure, enough to turn your stomach.
“Boivin said, 'Have a little patience and we will reach the river bank.'
“We reached the river. Here there was an odor of mud and dirty water, and the sun blazed down on the water so that it burned my eyes. I begged Boivin to go under cover somewhere. He took me into a kind of shanty filled with men, a river boatmen's tavern.
“He said:
“'This does not look very grand, but it is very comfortable.'