"Are you
really of opinion that it cannot be cultivated?" he asked. "It's pitiful
to see all that land lying waste and idle."
"Cultivate it!" cried Seguin. "Ah! I should like to see such a miracle!
The only crops that one will ever raise on it are stones and frogs."
They had by this time eaten their dessert, and before rising from table
Marianne was telling Valentine that she would much like to see and kiss
her children, who had not been allowed to lunch with their elders on
account of their supposed unruly ways, when a couple of visitors arrived
in turn, and everything else was forgotten. One was Santerre the
novelist, who of late had seldom called on the Seguins, and the other,
much to Mathieu's dislike, proved to be Beauchene's sister, Seraphine,
the Baroness de Lowicz. She looked at the young man in a bold, provoking,
significant manner, and then, like Santerre, cast a sly glance of mocking
contempt at Marianne and Valentine. She and the novelist between them
soon turned the conversation on to subjects that appealed to their
vicious tastes. And Santerre related that he had lately seen Doctor Gaude
perform several operations at the Marbeuf Hospital.
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