with the startled animal expression of a peasant, opened the door, went
up stairs at her master's heels to the drawing-room, which was on the
first floor, and then said:

"A gentleman called--three times."

Old Roland, who never spoke to her without shouting and swearing, cried
out:

"Who do you say called, in the devil's name?"

She never winced at her master's roaring voice, and replied:

"A gentleman from the lawyer's."

"What lawyer?"

"Why, M'sieu 'Canu--who else?"

"And what did this gentleman say?"

"That M'sieu 'Canu will call in himself in the course of the evening."

Maitre Lecanu was M. Roland's lawyer, and in a way his friend, managing
his business for him. For him to send word that he would call in the
evening, something urgent and important must be in the wind; and the
four Rolands looked at each other, disturbed by the announcement as
folks of small fortune are wont to be at any intervention of a lawyer,
with its suggestions of contracts, inheritance, lawsuits--all sorts of
desirable or formidable contingencies. The father, after a few moments