"It stupefies me, my dear fellow," declared Beauchene, "that you can live
in this awful solitude in the depth of winter. It is enough to kill
anybody. I am all in favor of work, you know; but, dash it! one must have
some amusement too."
"But we do amuse ourselves," said Mathieu, waving his hand round that
rustic kitchen in which centred all their pleasant family life.
The two visitors followed his gesture, and gazed in amazement at the
walls covered with utensils, at the rough furniture, and at the table on
which the children were still building their village after offering their
cheeks to be kissed. No doubt they were unable to understand what
pleasure there could possibly be there, for, suppressing a jeering laugh,
they shook their heads. To them it was really an extraordinary life, a
life of most singular taste.
"Come and see my little Gervais," said Marianne softly. "He is asleep;
mind, you must not wake him."
For politeness' sake they both bent over the cradle, and expressed
surprise at finding a child but ten months old so big. He was very good,
too. Only, as soon as he should wake, he would no doubt deafen everybody.
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