nd all
that, don't we?" cried Tortillard, bursting into peals of laughter. "I
beg your pardon, dear father, but I can't possibly help thinking it so
funny to hear you, whose fingers were regular fish-hooks, picking and
stealing whatever came in their way; and, as for generosity, I beg you
don't mention it, because, till you got your eyes poked out I don't
suppose you ever thought of such a word!"

"But, at least, I never did you any harm. Why, then, torment me thus?"

"Because, in the first place, you said what I did not like to the
Chouette; then you had a fancy for stopping and playing the fool among
the clodhoppers here. Perhaps you mean to commence a course of asses'
milk?"

"You impudent young beggar! If I had only had the opportunity of
remaining at this farm--which I now wish sunk in the bottomless pit, or
blasted with eternal lightning--you should not have played your tricks
of devilish cruelty with me any longer!"

"You to remain here! that would be a farce! Who, then, would Madame la
Chouette have for her _bete de souffrance_? Me, perhaps, thank
ye!--don't you wish you may get it?"

"Miserable abortion!"

"Abortion! ah, yes, another reason why I say, as well as Aunt Chouette,
there is nothing so funny as to see you in one of your unaccountable
passions--you, who could kill me with one blow of your fist; it's more
funny than if you were a poor, weak creature. How very funny you were at
supper to-night! _Dieu de Dieu!_ what a lark I had all to myself! Why,
it was better than a play at the Gaite. At every kick I gave you on the
sly, your passion made all the blood fly in your face, and your white
eyes became red all round; they only wanted a bit of blue in the middle
to have been real tri-coloured. They would have made two fine cockades
for the town-sergeant, wouldn't they?"

"Come, come, you like to laugh--you are merry: bah! it's natural at your
age--it's natural--I'm not angry with you," said the Schoolmaster, in an
air of affected carelessness, hoping to propitiate Tortillard; "but,
instead of standing there, saying saucy things, it would be much better
for you to remember what the Chouette told you; you say you are very
fond of her. You should examine all over the place, and get the print of
the locks. Didn't you hear them say they expected to have a large sum of
money here on Monday? We will be amongst them then, and have our share.
I should have been foolish to have stayed here; I should have had e