"Come here, Aristoloche; come here this minute! Oh! how these children do torment me! They're like little snakes!"
"Belleville, why that's ours! Take Aristoloche's hand, Adelaide."
"That's very convenient, when I have a basket and a box already!"
But before the stout woman, with her servant and the two children, had left the office, the Belleville omnibus had started off; there was but one vacant seat, and twenty people were waiting for it. You should have seen the disappointment depicted on all those faces then. Several persons, tired of waiting, decided to walk. Others remained in the square; but the majority returned to the office, where all the benches were already filled. These public carriages are surely an excellent invention; but let us admit that they are not equal to the most modest of char-à-bancs, which is entirely at your service, even when you only hire it.
Finding no place to sit inside the office, the dame with the little boys seated herself and them on a bench outside. As for the servant, she succeeded in finding room inside; the fish in her basket was of much assistance to her in inducing others to make room; there was a general rush to get as far away from her as possible.
The party with the cake returned, and ran up to the clerk.
"Well! isn't it about time for us to start?"
"Where are you going, monsieur?"
"You know perfectly well—to La Villette."