François obeyed the summons, dressed this time as a scullion, because he was obliged to fill many positions.
"Is somebody getting dinner for us, François?"
"Yes, monsieur."
"Who?"
"Mademoiselle Cheval, who asked nothing better than to be useful to monsieur. Her father insisted on coming with her to help her."
"What! does the horse doctor do cooking also?" said Alfred.
"Oh! Monsieur Cheval says that he knows how to do everything, and that he could prepare a prescription and a ragoût at the same time; but he couldn’t come, because somebody sent for him to go to see a mare with the colic."
"That’s very lucky for us," said Alfred; "I am not at all anxious to partake of a dish prepared by the veterinary."
At that moment Monsieur Férulus, dressed from head to foot in serge dyed black, and carrying under his arm a hat that was entirely without shape, entered the room where the young men were and executed a low reverence, accompanied by a salutem omnibus.
Robineau stepped forward cordially to greet his guest, and shook his hand heartily; he had not forgotten the speech of the morning.