“Madame Remplumé was sick.”
“Monsieur Jarnouillard counted the different dishes of dessert—there were thirty-three.”
“They played cards and danced in the evening.”
“Monsieur Droguet fell while waltzing.”
“They played for infernally high stakes. Madame Droguet lost four francs at lansquenet. But Monsieur Antoine Beaubichon won three at écarté.”
“Everybody went away overflowing with admiration for Monsieur and Madame de Belleville.”
Such were the remarks which circulated through the village after the grand banquet. The names of the new owners of the villa were mentioned in Chelles only with the most profound respect. Monsieur Remplumé even went so far as to remove his hat when he passed their house. And when Thélénie pranced through the village on horseback, people ran to their doors and windows to see her pass, crying:
“There she goes! there she goes! she rides like a dragoon!”
To be sure, there were some urchins who yelled: “A la chienlit!” But those unseemly words were drowned by the applause and cheers.
Thélénie continued to gallop by Madame Dalmont’s house; but Agathe, instead of watching her, left the window if she were sitting at it, determined that that lady should not have the satisfaction of scrutinizing her as she did before.