Monsieur, Madame, and Bebe -- V

histled furiously under the doors. My two aunts, seated at a table in one corner of the drawing- room, gave vent from

and was repeating her prayers, while her sister was reading a volume of Voltaire's corr

time to time in front of Dr. C., an old friend of mine, who was quietly reading the paper in the most comfortable of the armchairs. I dared n

the couch and, passing his hand acr

You have read that article on Algerian cotton. One of two things, either irrigation . .

walked across the room humming an old med

turned round, "tell me fr

e my untroubled look," and he broke in

g anything from me

fellow. I tell you that ev

song, jingling the

Let me have one of your dressing-gowns. I shall be more comfortab

the doctor, and my friend!" I felt de

use me, you can very well let

e next room and we distinctly hea

oh! mon Dieu!

tful," murmu

the doctor's arm," you are quite sure y

m you? It is all going on very well, only as I said it will take time- By the way, tell Joseph to get me one of your smokingcaps; once in dressing-gown and slippers a smokingcap is not out of the way,

heard, he said: "Let us go

he drew me toward her and whispered in my ear: "You will be pleased to kiss the little darling, won't you?" Her vo

le the doctor, who had put on my dres

went on with its monotonous ticking, but it seemed to me that all this calm was only apparent, that everything about me must be in a state of expectation like myself a

t I was, as it were, alarmed at it. I felt the little creature, who was there without yet being there, clinging to me; his whole life unrolled itself before me. I saw him at the same

ptain consulting his compass, pulled out his w

age, we are all round you and all is going well

a singular fashion that, under any other circumstances, I should have burst out laughing. At that moment I heard the drawing-room door open and saw the he

ed the doctor, angri

world he turned to my mother-in-law

ething else to think of tha

to receive him?" he

ctor," replied m

ily. We had thought and dreamed of it; I had seen him in my mind's eye, my darling child, playing with a hoop, pulling my moustache, trying to walk, or gorging himself with milk in his nurse's arms like a gluttonous little kitten; but I had never pictured him to myself

the doctor, holding the chi

b

a fin

ly, a

re, fainting, overcame, and the little living creature, my own flesh, my own blood, was squalling and gesticulating in the hands of Jacques. I was overwhelmed, like a workman who had unconsciously produced a masterpiece. I felt myself q

mother's knees, saying: "Come, little savage, try not to be any worse than your

black eyes twinkled more brightly than u

queer, Captain? I mean

hrough the heart . .

atter, he is a fine b

the prisoners in

ather, my two aunts, still holding in their hands, one her rosary and th

exclaimed anx

it is a boy; go

of my own emotion. They embraced me and shook hands with me, and I responded

olding me in his arms, with his stick still in

was glittering at the tip of his nose. He muttered "Hum!" under his moustac

ise-I could not

ound the grandmamma, who lifted u

ng, how pretty! Nurse, warm

unt, jangling her rosary above t

time to recite a fa

self; she half opened her eyes and

she murmured in

her her mo

, is i

ew me down toward her

ed with me? I di

etained his hat and stick, "keep them from kissing. No emotion, and every one outside. I am going to dress the little lanc

o large hands and sat down

oll, but with great skill. He examined him all over, tou

e one, he is

ttle bald head, tied a folded ribbon under his chin to prevent h

ry morning in the same way. Nothing but a little sugar and water t

haven't got cold partridge or a bit of pie that you don't know what to do wi

ng-room and laid the cloth

te and drank so much

ng you shall have the wet-nurse. No, by the way, I'll call for you, and we wil