“And I had dinner with Mr. Gex,” cried Lady Jane joyfully; “such a lovely dinner—ice cream, and grapes—and cake!”
“And one leetle bird, vith a vairy fine salad, my leetle lady,—vasn’t it—one vairy nice leetle bird?” interrupted Gex, who was unwilling to have his fine dinner belittled.
“Oh, yes; bird, and fish, and soup,” enumerated Lady Jane, “and peas, Pepsie, little peas.”
“Oh, mon Dieu! oh, leetle lady!” cried Gex, holding up his hands in horror, “you have it vairy wrong. It vas soup, and fish, and bird. M. Paichoux, you see the leetle lady does not vell remember; and you must not think I can’t order one vairy fine dinner.”
“I understand,” said Paichoux, laughing. “I’ve no doubt, Gex, but what you could order a dinner fit for an alderman.”
“Thank you, thank you, vairy much,” returned Gex, as he bowed himself out and went home to dream of his triumphs.
CHAPTER XXII
PAICHOUX MAKES A PURCHASE
“Just to think,” said Pepsie to her mother, the next morning, “Madame Jozain wasn’t the least anxious last night about Lady. I don’t believe she cares for the child, or she’d never be willing to let her stay away from her the most of the time, as she does. She’s always fussing about her great, overgrown son, if he’s out of her sight.”
“And no wonder,” returned Madelon. “Poor woman, she has trouble enough with him. She keeps it to herself and pretends to be proud of him; but, my dear, he’s a living disgrace to her. I often hear him spoken of on the Rue Bourbon; he dresses fine and never works. Where does he get his money, ma petite? If people are poor and don’t work they must steal. They may call it by some other name, but I call it stealing. Madame Jozain can’t make money enough in that little shop to support herself and keep that boy in idleness. We mustn’t be too hard on her. She has trouble enough, I can see it in her face; she looks worn out with worry. And we’ll do all we can for that little darling. It’s a pleasure; she’s so sweet and grateful. I only wish I could do more. I’d work my fingers to the bone for you two, my darling.”
“Bonne maman,” said Pepsie, clinging to her neck, and kissing her fondly, “have you thought of what I asked you—have you, mama?”