“Lost! oh, no! not by any means, mother! What I have just found in my pocket certainly wasn’t there before! I am sure of that.”
“Why, what have you found in your pocket?”
“Here, look, mother!”
And the young messenger tossed upon the good woman’s bed four five-franc pieces.
“Twenty francs, Georget! twenty francs! What does this mean? where did you get all that money, my son?”
“I haven’t any idea, mother; and I am very sure that I didn’t have it when I came home. I didn’t have a sou.”
“But this money didn’t get into your pocket of itself. Answer me, Georget, and above all, don’t lie.”
“Mon Dieu! how you say that, mother! Do you suppose that I am capable of having stolen this money from someone, I should like to know?”
“No, my dear, I do not suppose that my son, that the child of my honest Brunoy, would ever do a wicked action; but I have always carefully preserved your father’s watch, and some time, without my knowledge, to help me, you might have——”
“Pawned papa’s watch! Oh! never! I’d rather pawn myself! but wait, mother; I remember now; yes, that must have been it.”