On this point Chrysanthème and I agree with him: we do not consider
cats as unclean animals, and we do not object to drink after them.

Yves considers Chrysanthème much in the same light. "She is not dirty,
either," he says; and he willingly drinks after her, out of the same
cup, putting her in the same category with the cats.

Well, these china tubs are one of the daily preoccupations of our
household: in the evening, when we return from our walk, after the
clamber up which makes us thirsty, and Madame L'Heure's waffles, which
we have been eating to beguile the way, we always find them empty. It
seems impossible for Madame Prune, or Mdlle. Oyouki, or their young
servant Mdlle. Dédé,[J] to have forethought enough to fill them while
it is still daylight. And when we are late in returning home, these
three ladies are asleep, so we are obliged to attend to the business
ourselves.

[Footnote J: _Dédé-San_ means "Miss Young Girl," a very common name.]

We must therefore open all the closed doors, put on our boots, and go
down into the garden to draw water.

As Chrysanthème would die of fright all alone in the dark, in the
midst of the trees and buzzing of the insects, I am obliged to
accompany her to the well. For this expedition we require a light, and
must seek among the quantity of lanterns purchased at Madame
Très-Propre's booth, which have been thrown night after night into the
bottom of one of our little paper closets; but alas, all the candles
are burnt down; I thought as much! Well, we must resolutely take the