h the
wondering pride expressed in the eyes of mothers among the common people
in presence of a son who dresses like a _monsieur_.

"You're dressed up like the young man on the first floor!" she said. "I
should think it was his coat. I don't mean to say fine things don't look
well on you, too----"

Jupillon, intent upon tying his cravat, made no reply.

"You'll play the deuce with the poor girls to-day!" continued Mere
Jupillon, giving to her voice an accent of insinuating sweetness: "Look
you, bibi, let me tell you this, you great bad boy: if a young woman
goes wrong, so much the worse for her! that's their look-out. You're a
man, aren't you? you've got the age and the figure and everything. I
can't always keep you in leading-strings. So, I said to myself, as well
one as another. That one will do. And I fixed her so that she wouldn't
see anything. Yes, Germinie would do, as you seemed to like her. That
prevented you from wasting your money on bad women--and then I didn't
see anything out of the way in the girl till now. But now it won't do at
all. They're telling stories in the quarter--a heap of horrible things
about us. A pack of vipers! We're above all that, I know. When one has
been an honest woman all her life, thank God! But you never know what
will happen--mademoiselle would only have to put the end of her nose
into her maid's affairs. Why there's the law--the bare idea gives me a
turn. What do you say to that, bibi, eh?"

"_Dame_, mamma,--whatever you please."

"Ah! I knew you loved your dear darling mamma!" exclaimed the monstrous
creature embracing him. "Well! invite her to dinner to-night. You can
get up two bottles of our Lunel--at two francs--the heady kind. And be
sure she comes. Make eyes at her, so that she'll think to-day's the
great day. Put on your fine gloves: they'll make you look more
dignified."

Germinie arrived at seven o'clock, happy and bright and hopeful, her
head filled with blissful dreams by the mysterious air with which
Jupillon delivered his mother's invitation. They dined and drank and
made merry. Mere Jupillon began to cast glances expressive of deep
emotion, drowned in tears, upon the couple sitting opposite her. When
the coffee was served, she said, as if for the purpose of being left
alone with Germinie: "Bibi, you know you have an errand to do this
evening."

Jupillon went out. Madame Jupillon, as she sipped her coffee, turned to
Germinie the face of a mother seeking to l