"No, messieurs," the artist calmly replied; "I give you my word that I hadn't noticed what I was doing. If they had brought me my bath in decent season, it wouldn't have happened. But when I found that it didn't come, I went out; when I came back, it was all ready; I was in a hurry, so I just glanced at the clock, took the _Gazette des Tribunaux_, and jumped in. That infernal newspaper was at the bottom of it; for I was reading a very interesting case, and all I remember now is that the water seemed very heavy." "You may be a somnambulist," said Dupétrain; "very likely you were asleep when you got into the bath." "Asleep! damnation! I tell you, I had just been out to do an errand; I was in a great hurry, for I hadn't had my breakfast, and I got into the bath without thinking of undressing." During this conversation, young Tobie, determined to waste no time, had slipped into his napkin a large part of the truffles that were on his plate, and, having wiped them carefully, stuffed them into his pocket. Then he said: "Just pass me the turkey again, messieurs; I would like a few of the truffles with this chicken." "I say, Pigeonnier, this is too much; you mean to outdo yourself, my dear fellow, to leave Albert in the shade!" "Tudieu! what an appetite!" cried Mouillot. "That blade ought to pay for two; he beats us all." "You see, messieurs, I am very fond of truffles." "So we perceive." Albert consulted his watch, and said, with an impatient gesture: "Why doesn't that messenger come?" "Neither of them has come yet."