The women, dressed simply in summer toilets, retained an air of elegance in spite of the plain ribbon band fastening their hair, and their fresh, newly ironed caps. The men were gay and smiling, polite and distinguished; they talked and played cards or chess together on the benches, exchanging courtesies as if they were in a drawing-room. "After you! ... I should not think of it! ..." And in and out the groups the concierge Haly came and went, giving his orders, accompanied by two bulldogs, with enormous spiked collars. Just then a fair-haired, bright-eyed boy of fifteen knocked up against Olivier. "Oh! pardon, monsieur!" said the lad, who was playing a game of fives and running after the ball. "What a nice lad!" said Olivier. "It's young de Maillé," said Thérèse. "Nobody knows why he has been arrested. His doom is settled, however, for they say he threw a rotten herring at the head of the concierge." Here Clarisse stopped her. "So they say, but it is not true, for the concierge is a fairly honest fellow." And addressing a lady who was just passing, she continued, "Is it not so, madame? Haly is not a bad fellow, is he?" "No, but a blockhead; a lamb, however, compared to the jailers of other prisons." Clarisse thus presented Olivier: "My son--Madame la Marquise de Choiseul." Olivier bowed courteously, and as Madame de Choiseul, struck by the distinguished air of the young workman, held out her hand, Olivier took it in his and kissed it. In this high-born company all the grace of his early education came back to him. The marquise smiled and turned to Clarisse. "Behold a son who betrays his mother! Your name is not Durand. You belong to us. I had thought as much." And as Clarisse was about to reply, she added: "Hush! I am not asking your secrets." She then assured the young man that his mother was right: the concierge Haly, though rough, was rather kind than otherwise, letting visitors enter, and even bring in provisions, sweets, and linen. "And above all," she added, "he does us the great favour of letting us walk about and disport ourselves here until night time." She then pointed out to Olivier the various games in which the men and children took part. "As you see," she added, "they take full advantage of the permission." Clarisse, well pleased with the tone of the conversation, tried to retain the marquise. "Tell him, madame, how you pass your evenings." "What! Have you not yet told him?" asked the marquise, who had been a silent spectator of the meeting between the mother and her son. "You must not forget that I only arrived yesterday," said Clarisse. "I know nothing myself but what I have heard." "Ah, true!" said Madame de Choiseul, who with a mother's heart now understood Clarisse's kindly motive. At once she pointed out to Olivier the windows of one of the buildings.