“Hush! not now! You can talk about her this evening—when the lover is here!”
Then she hurried the ladies toward a part of the garden where a small Théâtre de Guignol[C] had been set up, calling:
[C] A sort of Punch and Judy show.
“Come, mesdames, come; we have a marionette theatre here, and I believe the performance is going to begin.”
Freluchon remained where he stood, looking after Thélénie and saying to himself:
“I can’t get it out of my head that that woman is meditating some dirty, spiteful trick, which she means to play on Edmond. I am sorry I urged him to come to this affair. But still a man should never be afraid of such women; if this one should become too impertinent I will Chamoureau her till her head swims. This Baron von Schtapelmerg has the look of a genuine recruiting officer.—Ah! I see yonder, among those young men from Paris, a former travelling salesman, who, if I remember aright, used to speak German perfectly. I must put him in communication with Monsieur Thousand Sauerkrauts!”
And Freluchon walked toward the young man in question and shook hands with him. Then he passed his arm through his, and, as if by accident, took up a position with him beside Croque, who, in common with a large majority of the guests, had stopped in front of the canvas theatre commonly called: Théâtre de Guignol.
XIX
THÉÂTRE DE GUIGNOL.—A SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY.
There was quite a large gathering in front of the little canvas structure. The ladies were seated on chairs and most of the men stood behind them.
Mademoiselle Héloïse was one of the audience; when she caught sight of Croque, whom she recognized at once, she nudged Thélénie and whispered: