These words were addressed to the old man who was disputing with Adelaide, and who, as he left, bestowed a crushing glance on the servant, who laughed in his face and administered a cuff to young Aristoloche, the child of four, who, despite his mamma's orders, persisted in trying to leave the office. II A BLONDE AND A BRUNETTE "Well, monsieur," said the corpulent dame, pulling over her eldest son's eyes a small gray felt hat, with a Henri IV crown, and surrounded on all sides by feathers which drooped like palm-leaves; "we can get tickets for Romainville, I hope?" "We don't sell tickets for Romainville, madame, but for Belleville; there you'll find the Romainville stage." "Oh! you don't sell tickets for Romainville here; that's very unpleasant. Shall we have to pay again when we change?" "Yes, madame; but if you take checks, it will be only four sous twenty centimes." "For each?" "To be sure." "That's very dear. Narcisse, do pull your hat down, or you'll lose it; you know it fell off just now on the boulevard, and somebody almost stepped on it; your fine Henri IV hat is very pretty, you know." "I hate it; the feathers make me squint." "Hold your tongue, bad boy; your aunt bought that hat for you; you won't get another for two years!" "Take off the feathers, then!" "Hush! you don't deserve to be so fine!" "Fine! oh, yes! all the boys make fun of me and say I look like a _chienlit_."[A] "They're little villains! They say that from envy, for they'd like right well to have a hat like yours.--Say, monsieur, can you promise me a seat in the other 'bus?" "Oh! I can't promise you; but if there's no room in that, there's sure to be in the next one." "Do they start often?" "Every twenty minutes." "Wait twenty minutes! why, that's horrible! Oh! how sorry I am I promised my aunt to dine with her to-day!" "Especially," muttered the servant, "as we have to carry our own dinner when we dine with her.--A pretty kind of invitation! She don't ruin herself giving dinner parties!" "Here, give me two tickets for Belleville." "Here they are, madame." "Come here, Aristoloche; come here this minute! Oh! how these children do torment me! They're like little snakes!" "All aboard for Belleville!" "Belleville, why that's ours! Take Aristoloche's hand, Adelaide." "That's very convenient, when I have a basket and a box already!"