"If your father had only lived!" Clatter, clatter, clatter, clatter,
bang! It was a fixed belief with Madame Lebrun that the conduct of the
universe and all things pertaining thereto would have been manifestly of
a more intelligent and higher order had not Monsieur Lebrun been removed
to other spheres during the early years of their married life.

"What do you hear from Montel?" Montel was a middle-aged gentleman whose
vain ambition and desire for the past twenty years had been to fill
the void which Monsieur Lebrun's taking off had left in the Lebrun
household. Clatter, clatter, bang, clatter!

"I have a letter somewhere," looking in the machine drawer and finding
the letter in the bottom of the workbasket. "He says to tell you he will
be in Vera Cruz the beginning of next month,"--clatter, clatter!--"and
if you still have the intention of joining him"--bang! clatter, clatter,
bang!

"Why didn't you tell me so before, mother? You know I wanted--" Clatter,
clatter, clatter!

"Do you see Mrs. Pontellier starting back with the children? She will
be in late to luncheon again. She never starts to get ready for luncheon
till the last minute." Clatter, clatter! "Where are you going?"

"Where did you say the Goncourt was?"




IX