de the body of the Sieur de Mauprat.

CHAPTER XXVII

In the Rue d'Driere, the undertaker and his head apprentice were
right merry. But why should they not be? People had to die, quoth the
undertaker, and when dead they must be buried. Burying was a trade, and
wherefore should not one--discreetly--be cheerful at one's trade? In
undertaking there were many miles to trudge with coffins in a week,
and the fixed, sad, sympathetic look long custom had stereotyped was
wearisome to the face as a cast of plaster-of-paris. Moreover, the
undertaker was master of ceremonies at the house of bereavement as well.
He not only arranged the funeral, he sent out the invitations to the
"friends of deceased, who are requested to return to the house of the
mourners after the obsequies for refreshment." All the preparations for
this feast were made by the undertaker--Master of Burials he chose to be
called.

Once, after a busy six months, in which a fever had carried off many a
Jersiais, the Master of Burials had given a picnic to his apprentices,
workmen, and their families. At this buoyant function he had raised his
glass and with playful plaintiveness proposed: "The day we celebrate!"

He was in a no less blithesome mood this day. The head apprentice was
reading aloud the accounts for the burials of the month, while the
master checked off the items, nodding approval, commenting, correcting
or condemning with strange expletives.

"Don't gabble, gabble next one slowlee!" said the Master of Burials,
as the second account was laid aside, duly approved. "Eh ben, now let's
hear the next--who is it?"

"That Josue Anquetil," answered the apprentice. The Master of Burials
rubbed his hands together with a creepy sort of glee. "Ah, that was a
clever piece of work! Too little of a length and a width for the box,
but let us be thankful--it might have been too short, and it wasn't."

"No danger of that, pardingue!" broke in the apprentice. "The first it
belonged to was a foot longer than Josue--he."

"But I made the most of Josue," continued the Master. "The mouth was
crooked, but he was clean, clean--I shaved him just in time. And he had
good hair for combing to a peaceful look, and he was light to carry--O
my good! Go on, what has Josue the centenier to say for himself?"

With a drawling dull indifference, the lank, hatchet-faced servitor of
the master servitor of the grave read off the items:

The Relict of Josue Anquetil, Centeni