exaltation and despondency. Finally, after the
lapse of six months, his lordship Alexandre was appeased, and Bouvard
entered into possession of his inheritance.

His first exclamation was: "We will retire into the country!" And this
phrase, which bound up his friend with his good fortune, Pecuchet had
found quite natural. For the union of these two men was absolute and
profound. But, as he did not wish to live at Bouvard's expense, he would
not go before he got his retiring pension. Two years more; no matter! He
remained inflexible, and the thing was decided.

In order to know where to settle down, they passed in review all the
provinces. The north was fertile, but too cold; the south delightful, so
far as the climate was concerned, but inconvenient because of the
mosquitoes; and the middle portion of the country, in truth, had nothing
about it to excite curiosity. Brittany would have suited them, were it
not for the bigoted tendency of its inhabitants. As for the regions of
the east, on account of the Germanic _patois_ they could not dream of
it. But there were other places. For instance, what about Forez, Bugey,
and Rumois? The maps said nothing about them. Besides, whether their
house happened to be in one place or in another, the important thing was
to have one. Already they saw themselves in their shirt-sleeves, at the
edge of a plat-band, pruning rose trees, and digging, dressing, settling
the ground, growing tulips in pots. They would awaken at the singing of
the lark to follow the plough; they would go with baskets to gather
apples, would look on at butter-making, the thrashing of corn,
sheep-shearing, bee-culture, and would feel delight in the lowing of
cows and in the scent of new-mown hay. No more writing! No more heads
of departments! No more even quarters' rent to pay! For they had a
dwelling-house of their own! And they would eat the hens of their own
poultry-yard, the vegetables of their own garden, and would dine without
taking off their wooden shoes! "We'll do whatever we like! We'll let our
beards grow!"

They would purchase horticultural implements, then a heap of things
"that might perhaps be useful," such as a tool-chest (there was always
need of one in a house), next, scales, a land-surveyor's chain, a
bathing-tub in case they got ill, a thermometer, and even a barometer,
"on the Gay-Lussac system," for physical experiences, if they took a
fancy that way. It would not be a bad thing either (for a