“No wind! I assure you, bobonne, that it doesn’t blow, it won’t work at all.”
“Hold your tongue, Droguet!” she replied; “I will find a way to make it work, I tell you.”
The sale came to an end with the purchase of the house for two thousand francs. The auctioneer soon had the account made up; Monsieur Jarnouillard being paid and the legal costs deducted, he called Guillot, to whom he handed one thousand and fifteen francs, the residue.
The farmer exclaimed aloud in his amazement:
“What! that gentleman lets me keep my house and gives me all this money too! Oh! this is too much! I don’t deserve all this!”
“Yes, for you have four children to bring up, and you took your niece into your family too,” said Paul. “I know whom I am helping, you see. Now you can afford to take a few moments’ rest, and spare yourself the time to caress your children.”
Honorine meanwhile had told Poucette that her aunt could replace in the house all the things that she had bought with the purpose of giving them back to her.
But the peasant, who deemed herself rich now, ran after Madame Dalmont and said:
“You too are very kind to us, madame, but now we’re not poor any more, thanks to the kindness of the gentleman from the Tower, so please let us pay back what you gave for all those things.”
“No, indeed,” said Honorine, “I too wish to have some share in your happiness; and if I had not the power to do as much as monsieur, surely you know that I had the inclination.”