of a certain kirsch-wasser from the Black
Forest, which he fancied delicious with his maccaroni.

The same evening, M. Langevin related to his wife how, on returning from
the club at ten o'clock, he had been brutally accosted by a drunken man.
He at first took him for a robber, and prepared to defend himself; but
the man contented himself with embracing him, and then ran away with all
his might. This singular accident threw the two spouses into a series of
conjectures, each less probable than the preceding. But as they were
both young, and had been married barely seven years, they soon changed
the subject.

The next morning, Fougas, laden down like a miller's ass with bon-bons,
presented himself at M. Langevin's. In order to make himself welcome to
his two grandchildren, he had skimmed the shop of the celebrated
Lebegue--the Boissier of Nancy. The servant who opened the door for him
asked if he were the gentleman her master expected.

"Good!" said he; "my letter has come?"

"Yes, sir; yesterday morning. And your baggage?"

"I left it at the hotel."

"Monsieur will not be satisfied at that. Your room is ready, up stairs."

"Thanks! thanks! thanks! Take this hundred franc note for the good
news."

"Oh, monsieur! it was not worth so much."

"But where is he? I want to see him--to embrace him--to tell him----"

"He's dressing, monsieur; and so is madame."

"And the children--my dear grandchildren?"

"If you want to see them, they're right here, in the dining room."

"If I want to! Open the door right away!"

He discovered that the little boy resembled him, and was overjoyed to
see him in the dress of an artillerist playing with a sabre. His pockets
were soon emptied on the floor; and the two children, at the sight of so
many good things, hung about his neck.

"O philosophers!" cried the Colonel, "do you dare to deny the existence
of the voice of Nature?"

A pretty little lady (all the young women are pretty in Nancy) ran in at
the joyous cries of the little brood.

"My daughter-in-law!" cried Fougas, opening his arms.

The lady of the house modestly recoiled, and said, with a slight smile:

"You are mistaken, sir; I am not your daughter-in-law;[9] I am Madame
Langevin."

"What a fool I am!" thought the Colonel. "Here I was going to tell our
family secrets before these children. Mind your manners, Fougas! You are
in fine society, where the ardor of the sweetest sentiments is hidden
under the icy mask