"You must do it here, my dear; it's one of the customs of the province, and it's not disagreeable, I assure you." "All right; I'll take supper when I am hungry." "Speaking of eating," said Déneterre, "where are the children? Why don't they come to kiss their uncle?" "They're in bed, my dear," said Amélie. "In bed, already! why, that's ridiculous! You put them to bed too early." "Their health requires it." "Boys don't need to sleep so much." "Boys who run about and play all day must need rest when night comes." "No matter; I want them to come to kiss their uncle." "They can do it just as well to-morrow morning." "To-morrow! to-morrow! that won't be the same thing at all. I'm going to get them." "What! wake them up! upon my word! I would like to see you--just to make them sick." "You're the one who makes them sick, making them sleep like dormice." "At this rate, I shan't have anything to say about my own children." "They are boys; it's my place to train them." "You don't understand anything about it; besides, it isn't my fault that they're not girls." As I saw that the discussion was becoming warm, I made haste to change the subject by taking the billiard cue and handing it to Déneterre. "Is this cue yours?" "Yes; it's a prize cue that I won at pool not long ago." "Ah! so you play pool, do you?" "Every night; I am a very good hand at it." "Very well; go and finish your game. No ceremony between us, you know. Besides, I am tired and am going to bed." "Until to-morrow, then," said Déneterre, taking his prize cue eagerly; "you must join us to-morrow, and you will see what progress I've made since last year, especially since I have been using a patent cue." Déneterre left us, and Amélie took me to my room, showing me on the way a large part of the house, and telling me in detail all that she had lately had done to it, and the further improvements that she had in view. I noticed in my sister's conversation something of the tone of the old gentleman with whom I had dined at Madame de Marsan's country house, and who dilated so complacently on the details of his barnyard and hencoop. But I began to understand that the story of the birth of a chicken and the education of a rabbit might be of great interest to people who had nothing else to do. In the course of our conversation, I asked my sister if she often had disputes with her husband. "Disputes!" she exclaimed, with a surprised look; "why, we never have any." "I thought that just now----" "Oh! you call that a dispute! why, my dear boy, that was nothing at all; we have a hundred little arguments like that during the day; but they're not disputes! You see, when two people live together, it's very hard to be always of the same opinion." "I should think that it would be more agreeable."