Yves, struggling with a whole band of tiny little mousmés of some
twelve or fifteen years of age, who barely reached up to his waist,
and were pulling him by the sleeves, anxious to lead him astray.
Astonished and indignant he repeated as he extricated himself from
their clutches: "Oh, this is too much!" So shocked was he at seeing
such mere babies, so young, so tiny, already so brazen and shameless.




XII.


_July 18th_.

There are now four of us, four officers of my ship, married like
myself, and inhabiting the slopes of the same suburb. It is quite an
ordinary occurrence, and is arranged without difficulties, mystery or
danger, through the negotiations of the same M. Kangourou.

As a matter of course, we are on visiting terms with all these ladies.

First there is our very merry neighbor Madame Campanule, who is little
Charles N----'s wife; then Madame Jonquille, who is even merrier than
Campanule, like a young bird and the daintiest fairy of the whole lot:
she has married X----, a fair northerner who adores her; they are a
loverlike and inseparable pair, the only one that will probably weep
when the hour of parting comes. Then Sikou-San with Doctor Y----; and
lastly the midshipman Z---- with the tiny Madame Touki-San, no taller
than a boot: thirteen years old at the outside and already a regular