e was very stout,
and wore a green silk dress with low neck and short sleeves, allowing
her red neck, covered with powder, to escape as a huge flower might from
its corolla.

The officer saluted them, saying:

"Good-day, ladies."

The older woman turned round, appeared surprised, but bowed.

"Good-morning, sir."

He sat down. But seeing that they did not welcome him eagerly, he
thought that possibly only commissioned officers were admitted to the
house, and this made him uneasy. But he said:

"Bah, if one comes in, we can soon tell."

He then remarked:

"Are you all well?"

The large lady, no doubt the mistress of the house, replied:

"Very well, thank you!"

He could think of nothing else to say, and they were all silent. But at
last, being ashamed of his bashfulness, and with an awkward laugh, he
said:

"Do not people have any amusement in this country? I will pay for a
bottle of wine."

He had not finished his sentence when the door opened, and in walked
Padoie dressed in a black suit.

Varajou gave a shout of joy, and rising from his seat, he rushed at his
brother-in-law, put his arms round him and waltzed him round the room,
shouting:

"Here is Padoie! Here is Padoie! Here is Padoie!"

Then letting go of the tax collector he exclaimed as he looked him in
the face:

"Oh, oh, oh, you scamp, you scamp! You are out for a good time, too. Oh,
you scamp! And my sister! Are you tired of her, say?"

As he thought of all that he might gain through this unexpected
situation, the forced loan, the inevitable blackmail, he flung himself
on the lounge and laughed so heartily that the piece of furniture
creaked all over.

The three young ladies, rising simultaneously, made their escape, while
the older woman retreated to the door looking as though she were about
to faint.

And then two gentlemen appeared in evening dress, and wearing the ribbon
of an order. Padoie rushed up to them.

"Oh, judge--he is crazy, he is crazy. He was sent to us as a
convalescent. You can see that he is crazy."

Varajou was sitting up now, and not being able to understand it all, he
guessed that he had committed some monstrous folly. Then he rose, and
turning to his brother-in-law, said:

"What house is this?"

But Padoie, becoming suddenly furious, stammered out:

"What house--what--what house is this? Wretch--scoundrel--villain--what
house, indeed? The house of the judge--of the judge of the Supreme
Court--of the Su