“Perhaps—for a short time.”
“Our village is getting to be mighty fashionable; we’ve got lots of fine folks from Paris. But I can’t think of any houses to let.”
“If I cannot get a house, I will be content with a room—at some farmer’s; I am not hard to suit, I simply want to be in the country air.”
“If monsieur ain’t hard to suit, we can find that, I guess. Pardi! a room—why I’ve got one myself I could let you have. I could sleep in my loft—it’s all one to me.”
“Well, Père Ledrux, we will look at your room; but show me first the house of these ‘fine folks,’ who give a party this evening.”
“In a minute, monsieur; we go this way.”
As Beauregard and the old peasant were starting, Monsieur Jarnouillard appeared at a bend in the road, shouting:
“Five sous more, Père Ledrux; come, I’ll give you thirty-five sous for your hen.”
“Not likely!” retorted the gardener with a shrug. “You wouldn’t take her for four francs just now! I’m glad you didn’t! it will teach you to haggle.”