Tell Mulquinier to go up and assist your
father in dressing."
CHAPTER V
As Marguerite left the room, Madame Claes glanced at the children
through the windows of her chamber, which looked on the garden, and
saw that they were watching one of those insects with shining wings
spotted with gold, commonly called "darning-needles."
"Be good, my darlings," she said, raising the lower sash of the window
and leaving it up to air the room. Then she knocked gently on the door
of communication, to assure herself that Balthazar had not fallen into
abstraction. He opened it, and seeing him half-dressed, she said in
joyous tones:--
"You won't leave me long with Pierquin, will you? Come as soon as you
can."
Her step was so light as she descended that a listener would never
have supposed her lame.
"When monsieur carried madame upstairs," said the old valet, whom she
met on the staircase, "he tore this bit out of her dress, and he broke
the jaw of that griffin; I'm sure I don't know who can put it on
again. There's our staircase ruined--and it used to be so handsome!"
"Never mind, my poor Mulquinier; don't have it mended at all--it is
not a misfortune," said his mistress.
"What can have happened?" thought Lemulquinier; "why isn't it a
misfortune, I should like to know? has the master found the Absolute?"
"Good-evening, Monsieur Pierquin," said Madame Claes, opening the
parlor door.
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