"if Pere Leger is coming with us--"

"Where is your Pere Leger?" asked Georges.

"Over the way, at number 50. He couldn't get a place in the Beaumont
diligence," said Pierrotin, still speaking to his porter and
apparently making no answer to his customer; then he disappeared
himself in search of Bichette.

Georges, after shaking hands with his friend, got into the coach,
handling with an air of great importance a portfolio which he placed
beneath the cushion of the seat. He took the opposite corner to that
of Oscar, on the same seat.

"This Pere Leger troubles me," he said.

"They can't take away our places," replied Oscar. "I have number one."

"And I number two," said Georges.

Just as Pierrotin reappeared, having harnessed Bichette, the porter
returned with a stout man in tow, whose weight could not have been
less than two hundred and fifty pounds at the very least. Pere Leger
belonged to the species of farmer which has a square back, a
protuberant stomach, a powdered pigtail, and wears a little coat of
blue linen. His white gaiters, coming above the knee, were fastened
round the ends of his velveteen breeches and secured by silver
buckles. His hob-nailed shoes weighed two pounds each. In his hand, he
held a small reddish stick, much polished, with a large knob, which
was fastened round his wrist by a thong of leather.