"Dear Colinet!" she said. "Oh! how glad I am to see you!" "And I am very glad to see you, Mamzelle Georgette!" the young man replied. "For they told me Paris was so big, I was afraid I wouldn't find you!" Dupont meanwhile looked on with a strange expression on his face, saying to himself: "It seems that she lets some people kiss her! More than that, she kissed him first! The devil! the devil! I wonder if I'm nothing better than an old fool! That would be humiliating!" Georgette took the young man's hand, and leading him into the room presented him to Monsieur Dupont, saying: "This is a friend of my childhood. We used to play together when we were children--didn't we, Colinet?" "Yes, Mamzelle Georgette." "Let us pray that they won't continue to play together, now they're grown up!" thought Dupont, who was forced to admit that the young man was very comely.--"Is monsieur from your province?" he asked. "Yes, to be sure, and he's just come from there.--Isn't that so, Colinet?" "Yes, mamzelle; I arrived last night at the Plat d'Étain, where I'm staying, on Carré Saint-Martin." "And my mother and father and sisters--do tell me about them." "They are all well, thank heaven! and they all told me to be sure and kiss you for them." "Well! kiss me for each of them." Young Colinet lost no time in kissing Georgette again; while Dupont's face became a yard long, and he said to himself: "Are they going to pass all their time kissing? That fellow has obtained more in two minutes than I have in a month. I simply must change my batteries." When young Colinet had delivered all his kisses, Georgette bade him sit down and said: "Didn't my sisters give you anything for me?" "Oh! yes, excuse me; Mamzelle Aimée, the oldest one, gave me a letter, which I've got here in my pocket." "Oh! give it to me, quick!" Monsieur Colinet handed a letter to Georgette, who eagerly seized it, broke the seal, and walked to the window to read it, regardless of her visitors. Thereupon Dupont turned to the new-comer and asked: "Have you been in Paris before?" "No, monsieur; this is the first time." "Do you mean to settle here?" "Oh! no, monsieur. In fact, I promised mother not to stay more than four days. I'm going home Saturday." This reply caused Dupont most intense satisfaction, for he had begun to fear that he should find the young man at his compatriot's every day. He continued, with a more amiable air: "Are you in business?" "I raise sheep, and my father calves." "That's a very fine trade! Our first parents raised cattle, more or less; we content ourselves nowadays with eating them, and that is all the more reprehensible because it's not the way to multiply the races." Mademoiselle Georgette finished reading her letter, which seemed to have interested her deeply; as she folded it, she uttered an "at last!" which seemed to say many things.