Page:The Bohemians of the Latin Quarter.djvu/154

where he was unrivalled was in smoking Marcel’s cigars and lighting them with Rodolphe’s manuscripts.

One day Marcel wanted to put Baptiste into costume, and make him sit for Pharoah in his “Passage of the Red Sea.” To this proposition Baptiste replied by a flat refusal, and demanded his wages.

“Very well,” said Marcel, “I will settle with you to-night.”

When Rodolphe returned, his friend declared that they must send away Baptiste. “He is of no use to us at all.”

“No, indeed—only an ornament, and not much of that.”

“Awfully stupid.”

“And equally lazy.”

“We must turn him off.”

“Let us!”

“Still, he has some good points. He hashes hare very well.”

“And the lamp-black! He is a very Raphael for that.”

“Yes; but that’s all he is good for. We lose time arguing with him.”

“He keeps us from working.”

“He is the cause of my ‘Passage’ not being finished in time for the Exhibition. He wouldn’t sit for Pharaoh.”

“Thanks to him, I couldn’t finish my article in time. He wouldn’t go to the public library and hunt up the notes I wanted.”

“He is ruining us.”

“Decidedly we can’t keep him.”

“Send him away then! But we must pay him.”

“That we’ll do. Give me the money, and I will settle accounts with him.”

“Money! But it is not I who keeps the purse, but you.”

“Not at all! It is you who are charged with the financial department.”