Page 137 - les-miserables

CHAPTER IV

DETAILS CONCERNING

THE CHEESE-DAIRIES

OF PONTARLIER.

Now, in order to convey an idea of what passed at that
table, we cannot do better than to transcribe here a passage
from one of Mademoiselle Baptistine’s letters to Madame
Boischevron, wherein the conversation between the convict
and the Bishop is described with ingenious minuteness.
‘… This man paid no attention to any one. He ate with
the voracity of a starving man. However, after supper he
said:
‘‘Monsieur le Cure of the good God, all this is far too
good for me; but I must say that the carters who would not
allow me to eat with them keep a better table than you do.’
‘Between ourselves, the remark rather shocked me. My
brother replied:—
‘‘They are more fatigued than I.’
‘‘No,’ returned the man, ‘they have more money. You are
poor; I see that plainly. You cannot be even a curate. Are

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