a very doubtful sort of account that the Quenus give of him."

"Oh, he's the fat woman's sweetheart, I tell you!" reaffirmed the
fish-girl; "some scamp or vagabond picked up in the streets. It's easy
enough to see it."

"She has given him a complete outfit," remarked Madame Lecoeur. "He must
be costing her a pretty penny."

"Yes, yes," muttered the old maid; "perhaps you are right. I must really
get to know something about him."

Then they all promised to keep one another thoroughly informed of
whatever might take place in the Quenu-Gradelle establishment. The
butter dealer pretended that she wished to open her brother-in-law's
eyes as to the sort of places he frequented. However, La Normande's
anger had by this time toned down, and, a good sort of girl at heart,
she went off, weary of having talked so much on the matter.

"I'm sure that La Normande said something or other insolent," remarked
Madame Lecoeur knowingly, when the fish-girl had left them. "It is just
her way; and it scarcely becomes a creature like her to talk as she did
of Lisa."

The three women looked at each other and smiled. Then, when Madame
Lecoeur also had gone off, La Sarriette remarked to Mademoiselle Saget:
"It is foolish of my aunt to worry herself so much about all these
affairs. It's that which makes her so thin. Ah! she'd have willingly
taken Gavard for a husband if she could only have got him. Yet she used
to beat me if ever a young man looked my way."