The old woman shook her head. "No, thank you," she answered civilly. "I
will teach you dominoes, mademoiselle."
Brigit thanked her and began her dinner.
"Listen to Jacques tell about how he converted a retrograde priest back
to holiness by his great eloquence," laughed Antoine Joyselle, who was
an old and soured edition of his famous brother. "_Gascon!_"
Madame Chalumeau, whose eyes were fixed on M. Bouillard as he sat far
down one of the tables, dropped her knife to the ground, and
disappearing under the table in search of it, gave her head a terrible
thump, and emerged scarlet and agonised.
"Someone ought to propose a toast!" suggested Théo, "I suppose M.
Thibaut, father?"