"Many? Why no! There are only six. These people are stupid!"
"Well, Mother Le Gannec," I said, "keep them downstairs tonight. We shall see tomorrow."
I got up, while Juliette examined the room, occasionally exclaiming:
"Why, it's so nice here! There's a lot of fun here, my dear. And you have a bed, too, a real bed. And I thought they slept in wardrobes in Brittany! Ah! What is that? Don't stir, Jean, don't stir."
From the mantlepiece she took a large shell and put it to her ear.
"Wait!" she said with disappointment. "Wait now, it does not make that sh-sh-sh sound. Why is that?"
She suddenly rushed into my arms and covered me with kisses.
"Ah! your beard! You are growing whiskers, you villain! Ah how long your hair is! And how thin you are! And I, have I changed much! Am I still beautiful?"
She placed her arms around my neck and rested her head on my shoulder:
"Tell me what you have been doing here, how you have spent your time, what you have been thinking about. Tell it all to your little wifie. And don't tell lies. Tell her everything, everything."