Under the icy
covering, however, beneath which they stiffly slumbered, hiding the seed
within them, he had guessed nothing of the truth, and already felt
anxious about this business of Mathieu's, which looked anything but
encouraging. Indeed, he already feared that he would not be paid his
purchase money, and so made bold to speak ironically.
"I say, my dear fellow, I am afraid you have lost your time," he began;
"I noticed it all as I went by, and it did not seem promising. But how
can you hope to reap anything from rotten soil in which only reeds have
been growing for centuries?"
"One must wait," Mathieu quietly answered. "You must come back and see it
all next June."
But Beauchene interrupted them. "There is a train at four o'clock, I
think," said he; "let us make haste, for it would annoy us tremendously
to miss it, would it not, Seguin?"
So saying, he gave him a gay, meaning glance. They had doubtless planned
some little spree together, like husbands bent on availing themselves to
the utmost of the convenient pretext of a day's shooting. Then, having
drunk some wine and feeling warmed and livelier, they began to express
astonishment at their surroundings.
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