Page:The Bohemians of the Latin Quarter.djvu/337

“She wants to teach him to read, perhaps,” said the journalist, who was very stupid when he had been losing.

“All the same,” said Sidonie, “what does she want with Seraphin when she is in love with Marcel? That is what gets over me.”

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For five days the Bohemians went on leading the happiest life in the world without stirring out. They remained at table from morning till night. An admired disorder reigned in the room which was filled with a Pantagruelic atmosphere. On a regular bed of oyster-shells reposed an army of empty bottles of every size and shape. The table was laden with fragments of every description, and a forest of wood blazed in the fireplace.

On the sixth day Colline, who was director of ceremonies, drew up, as was his wont every morning, the bill of fare for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and supper, and submitted it to the approval of his friends, who each initialled it in token of approbation.

But when Colline opened the drawer that served as a cash-box in order to take the money necessary for the day’s consumption, he started back and became as pale as Banquo’s ghost.

“What is the matter?” inquired the others, carelessly.

“The matter is that there are only thirty sous left,” replied the philosopher.

“The deuce; that will cause some modification in our bill of fare. Well, after all, thirty sous carefully laid out—All the same it will be difficult to include truffles,” said the others.

A few minutes later the table was spread. There were three dishes most symmetrically arranged—a dish of herrings, a dish of potatoes, and a dish of cheese.