In Search of a Son

by William S. Walsh

Monsieur Roger stopped and looked at Miette, whose good temper he was again going to put to the test. Then he said,—

"I need a carafe and a hard egg; and if Miss Miette will only be kind enough to——"

This time Miette seemed still more uneasy than ever, more embarrassed, more uncomfortable; still, she fled rapidly towards the kitchen. During her absence, Monsieur Roger said to Madame Dalize,—

"Miette seems to think that I trouble her a little too often."

"That is not what is annoying her, I am certain," replied Madame Dalize; "but I do not understand the true cause. Let us wait."

At this moment Miette returned, with the carafe in one hand, the hard-boiled egg (it was not boiled very hard, however) in the other. Monsieur Roger took the shell off the egg and placed the egg thus deprived of its shell upon the empty carafe, somewhat after the manner of a stopper or cork.

"What I want to do," said he, "is to make this egg enter the carafe."

"Very well," said Miette; "all you have to do is to push from above: you will force the egg down."

"Oh, but nobody must touch it. It must not be a hand that forces it down, but by weight from above. No, the atmosphere must do this."