n he chatted on general topics.

Pecuchet, who had left the room a minute, on coming back slipped a
napoleon into his hand.

The priest made a backward movement.

"Oh! for your poor!"

And, colouring, M. Jeufroy crammed the gold piece into his cassock.

To give back the bowl, the bowl for sacrifices! Never, while they lived!
They were even anxious to learn Hebrew, which is the mother-tongue of
Celtic, unless indeed the former language be derived from it! And they
had planned a journey into Brittany, commencing with Rennes, where they
had an appointment with Larsoneur, with a view of studying that urn
mentioned in the Memorials of the Celtic Academy, which appeared to have
contained the ashes of Queen Artimesia, when the mayor entered
unceremoniously with his hat on, like the boorish individual he was.

"All this won't do, my fine fellows! You must give it up!"

"What, pray?"

"Rogues! I know well you are concealing it!"

Someone had betrayed them.

They replied that they had the cure's permission to keep it.

"We'll soon see that!"

Foureau went away. An hour later he came back.

They were obstinate.

In the first place, this holy-water basin was not wanted, as it really
was not a holy-water basin at all. They would prove this by a vast
number of scientific reasons. Next, they offered to acknowledge in their
will that it belonged to the parish. They even proposed to buy it.

"And, besides, it is my property," Pecuchet asseverated.

The twenty francs accepted by M. Jeufroy furnished a proof of the
contract, and if he compelled them to go before a justice of the peace,
so much the worse: he would be taking a false oath!

During these disputes he had again seen the soup-tureen many times, and
in his soul had sprung up the desire, the thirst for possession of this
piece of earthenware. If the cure was willing to give it to him, he
would restore the bowl, otherwise not.

Through weariness or fear of scandal, M. Jeufroy yielded it up. It was
placed amongst their collection near the Cauchoise cap. The bowl
decorated the church porch; and they consoled themselves for the loss
of it with the reflection that the people of Chavignolles were ignorant
of its value.

But the soup-tureen inspired them with a taste for earthenware--a new
subject for study and for explorations through the country.

It was the period when persons of good position were looking out for old
Rouen dishes. The notary possessed a few o