My Library

laughing! And then such a dress! Not a single article of cloth about her, but all she wore made of thin green-and-blue morocco; and then such dainty slippers, looking for all the world as if made of the wings of Pappilon! and such a headdress—withered flowers, and two bushels of faded ribbon! Par le grande Dieu, the lady was a queer one!’ and Pierre went back to his corner, laughing as if he would explode. “The gardener looked astonished beyond all measure. How I looked cannot be told; but how I felt, no mortal pen could possibly describe. We both kept silent, and advanced to where Madame la Jardinière stood, patiently waiting her turn to be questioned, and impatiently wondering what was the matter with Pierre, the fellow laughed so uproariously, and enjoyed ‘the feast of memory’ with such a decided gusto. “ ‘Ma chere femme,’ said my comrade, ‘will you please be so good as to describe the person whom you admitted here to-day along with monsieur? Certes, I believe the Devil himself is at the bottom of the business, for no two persons are agreed in description. But you, my darling, you, who are all the while reading poetry books; —all about Vido (Ovid?), and Virgil, and Spearshaker, and all those great people—you can describe this person perfectly; can’t you, my sweet?’ and the gardener looked imploringly at his plump and buxom compagnon de lit.