"What a shabby coat," said a third. "His trousers were worn out and threadbare," put in Miss Le Grove, who was not able to approach very near the group on account of her immense corpulence.
"His daughter seemed rather ill at ease," said No. Three.
"I think there is some of her fault," said Mrs. Martin, "she encourages a young man of bad reputation."
The whole group held up their hands and assumed an horror-stricken attitude.
"Impossible!", exclaimed No. Two.
"Shocking!" declared Miss Le Grove.
"We must be very careful about what we advance'" remarked No. Two, who generally passed for being a very Christian lady; then she added after a pause: "Miss Rougeant is, as everyone of us knows, good, well-bred and of refined taste."
"I only recited what I had heard, of course I don't believe it," said Mrs. Martin, a little disconcerted.
"If she marries and goes away from home, there will only be one thing for her father to do, and that will be to marry again," remarked Miss Le Grove, who found the state of forced celibacy unendurable.