“Oh! like the poor old things we are ... but hasn’t he grown tall, the youngster!” And all the world embraced him, father, mother, neighbours, friends, and the girls! They took his packet from him and the children fingered admiringly the fine ribbons on his hat and walking-stick. The old Marguerite, with brimming eyes, quickly lighted the stove with a handful of chips, and while she floured some dried haddock wherewith to regale the young man, the old man sat down at a table with his son, and they drank to his happy return, clinking glasses. “Now here,” began old Master Pignol, “in less than four years thou hast finished thy tour of France and behold thee, according to thy account, passed and received as Companion of the Guild of Duty! How everything changes! In my time it required seven years, yes, seven good years, to achieve that honour. It is true, my son, that there in the shop I gave thee a pretty good training, and that for an apprentice, already thou didst not handle badly the plane and the jointer. But any way, the chief thing is thou shouldst know thy business, and thou hast, so at least I believe, now seen and known all that a fine fellow should know, who is son of a master.” “Oh father, as for that,” replied the young man, “without boasting, I think nobody in the carpenter’s shop could baffle me.” “Very well,” said the old man, “see here while the cod-fish is singing in the pot, just relate to me what were the finest objects thou didst note in running round the country?” III “To begin with, father, you know that on first leaving Grasse, I went over to Toulon where I entered the Arsenal. It’s not necessary to tell you all that is inside there, you have seen it as well as I.” “Yes, pass on, I know it.” “After leaving Toulon I went and hired myself out at Marseilles, a fine large town, advantageous for the workman, where some comrades pointed out to me, a sea-horse which serves as a sign at an inn.” “Well?” “Faith, from there, I went north to Aix, where I admired the sculptures of the porch of Saint-Saviour.” “I have seen that.” “Then, from there, we went to Arles, and we saw the roof of the Commune of Arles.” “So well constructed that one cannot imagine how it holds itself in the air.” “From Arles, my father, we went to the city of Saint-Gille, and there we saw the famous Vis----” “Yes, yes, a wonder both in structure and outline. Which shows us, my son, that in other days as well as to-day there were good workmen.” “Then we directed our steps from Saint-Gille to Montpellier, and there they showed us the celebrated Shell....” “Oh yes--which is in the Vignolle, and the book calls it the ‘horn of Montpellier.’” “That’s it; and from there we marched to Narbonne.” “Ah! that is what I was waiting for!” “But why, my father? At Narbonne I saw the ‘Three Nurses,’ and then the Archbishop’s palace, also the wood carvings in the church of Saint-Paul.” “And then?” “My father, the song says nothing more than: