japanned, as occasion might require, by the hands of the capitaine
himself. It was longer than ordinary wooden legs, as indeed the
capitaine was longer than ordinary men; but nevertheless it never
seemed in any way to impede the rigid punctilious propriety of his
movements. It was never in his way as wooden legs usually are in the
way of their wearers. And then to render it more illustrious it had
round its middle, round the calf of the leg we may so say, a band of
bright brass which shone like burnished gold.

It had been the capitaine's custom, now for some years past, to
retire every evening at about seven o'clock into the sanctum
sanctorum of Madame Bauche's habitation, the dark little private
sitting-room in which she made out her bills and calculated her
profits, and there regale himself in her presence--and indeed at her
expense, for the items never appeared in the bill--with coffee and
cognac. I have said that there was never eating or drinking at the
establishment after the regular dinner-hours; but in so saying I
spoke of the world at large. Nothing further was allowed in the way
of trade; but in the way of friendship so much was now-a-days always
allowed to the capitaine.

It was at these moments that Madame Bauche discussed her private
affairs, and asked for and received advice. For even Madame Bauche
was mortal; nor could her green spectacles without other aid carry
her through all the troubles of life. It was now five years since
the world of Vernet discovered that La Mere Bauche was going to marry
the capitaine; and for eighteen months the world of Vernet had been
full of this matter: but any amount of patience is at last
exhausted, and as no further steps in that direction were ever taken
beyond the daily cup of coffee, that subject died away--very much