"Behold a turkey who never expected, when he entered into life, to appear at breakfast on the table of our governor's quill-drivers!" "Just so; when the governor entered on the life of a notary, in like manner he never expected to give his clerks a turkey for breakfast." "For this turkey is ours," cried Stump-in-the-Gutters, the office-boy, with greedy eyes. "My friend you forget; this turkey must be a foreigner to you." "And as a Frenchman, you should hate a foreigner." "All that can be done is to give you the claws." "Emblem of the velocity with which you run your errands." "I think, at least, I have a right to the carcass," said the boy, murmuring. "It might be granted; but you have no right to it, just as it was with the Charter of 1814, which was only another carcass of liberty," said the Mirabeau of the office. "Apropos of carcass," said one of the party. "May the soul of Mother Séraphin rest in peace! for, since she was drowned, we are no longer condemned to eat her ever lasting hash!" "And for a week past, the governor, instead of giving us a breakfast--" "Allows us each forty sous a day." "That is the reason I say: may her soul rest in peace." "Exactly; for in her time, the old boy would never have given us the forty sous." "It is enormous!" "It is astonishing!" "There is not an office in Paris--" "In Europe." "In the universe, where they give forty sous to a famishing clerk for his breakfast." "Apropos of Madame Séraphin, which of you fellows has seen the new servant that takes her place?" "The Alsatian girl whom Madame Pipelet, the porter's wife of No. 17, Rue du Temple, the house where poor Louise lived, brought one evening?" "Yes." "I have not seen her yet." "Nor I." "Of course not; it is altogether impossible to see her, for the governor is more savage than ever to prevent our entering the pavilion in the courtyard." "And since the porter cleans the office now, how can one get a glimpse at his Mary?" "Pooh! I have seen her." "You?" "Where was that?" "How does she look?" "Large or small?" "Young or old?" "I am sure, beforehand, that she has not so good-looking a face as poor Louise--that good girl?" "Come, since you have seen her, how does this new servant look?" "When I say I saw her, I have seen her cap--a very funny cap." "What sort?" "It was cherry color, and of velvet, I believe; something like those worn by the little broom girls." "Like the Alsatians? it is very natural, since she is an Alsatian." "You don't say so!" "But I do! what is it that surprises you? The burnt child shuns the fire!" "Chalamel! what relation between your proverb and this cap?" "There is none." "Why did you say it, then?" "Because a benefit is never lost, and the dog is a friend of man!" "Hold! If Chalamel opens his budget of proverbs, which mean nothing, we are in for it. Come, tell us what you know of this new servant."