"What the devil are you doing?" asked his father, hearing him.
Christophe came up to the old man and kissed him on both cheeks.
"I don't want any one to see my preparations for departure, and I have
put them on a counter in the shop," he whispered.
"Here is the letter," said his father.
Christophe took the paper and went out as if to fetch his young
neighbor.
A few moments after his departure the goodman Lallier and his daughter
arrived, preceded by a servant-woman, bearing three bottles of old
wine.
"Well, where is Christophe?" said old Lecamus.
"Christophe!" exclaimed Babette. "We have not seen him."
"Ha! ha! my son is a bold scamp! He tricks me as if I had no beard. My
dear crony, what think you he will turn out to be? We live in days
when the children have more sense than their fathers."
"Why, the quarter has long been saying he is in some mischief," said
Lallier.
"Excuse him on that point, crony," said the furrier. "Youth is
foolish; it runs after new things; but Babette will keep him quiet;
she is newer than Calvin."
Babette smiled; she loved Christophe, and was angry when anything was
said against him.
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