“It's more likely to be a worm,” said the priest.
Maitre Belhomme, his head resting against the door, for he had been the last one to enter, was still moaning.
“Oh—oh—oh! I think it must be an ant, a big ant—there it is biting again. Oh, Monsieur le cure, how it hurts! how it hurts!”
“Have you seen the doctor?” asked Caniveau.
“I should say not!”
“Why?”
The fear of the doctor seemed to cure Belhomme. He straightened up without, however, dropping his handkerchief.
“What! You have money for them, for those loafers? He would have come once, twice, three times, four times, five times! That means two five-franc pieces, two five-franc pieces, for sure. And what would he have done, the loafer, tell me, what would he have done? Can you tell me?”
Caniveau was laughing.
“No, I don't know. Where are you going?”