Two days later, Père Ledrux was working in Madame Dalmont’s little garden. Humming as usual, he approached the two friends, who were sitting amid a clump of trees.
“Well!” he said, “here’s more fine folks in the place; ah! but these are regular bigwigs, so it seems; even bigger than Madame Droguet!”
“Whom are you talking about, Père Ledrux?” asked Honorine.
“The folks who’ve bought the house with the goldfish.”
“What!” cried Agathe, “is there a house with goldfish in this village—and we didn’t know it?”
“Bless me! mamzelle, when it was for sale, nobody thought much about it; it was too dear for the natives here. It’s a splendid place, with a park and an English garden and a kitchen garden.”
“And goldfish apparently?”
“Yes, mamzelle; a big pond full of ‘em.”
“And you know who has bought the place?”
“Pardi! everybody in Chelles knows.”