GERMINAL
And the manager had to renounce further information, since his wife had taken his messenger. He returned and sat before his desk, on which a new packet of despatches was placed.
At eleven o'clock the Grégoires arrived, and were astonished when Hippolyte, the footman, who was placed as sentinel, hustled them in after an anxious glance at the two ends of the road. The drawing-room curtains were drawn, and they were taken at once into the study, where M. Hennebeau apologised for their reception; but the drawing-room looked over the street and it was undesirable to seem to offer provocations.
"What! you don't know?" he went on, seeing their surprise.
M. Grégoire, when he heard that the strike had at last broken out, shrugged his shoulders in his placid way. Bah! it would be nothing, the people were honest. With a movement of her chin, Madame Grégoire approved his confidence in the everlasting resignation of the colliers; while Cécile, who was very cheerful that day, feeling that she looked well in her capucine cloth costume, smiled at the word "strike," which reminded her of visits to the settlements and the distribution of charities.
Madame Hennebeau now appeared in black silk, followed by Négrel.
"Ah! isn't it annoying!" she said, at the door. "As if they couldn't wait, those men! You know that Paul refused to take us to Saint-Thomas."
"We can stay here," said M. Grégoire, obligingly "We shall be quite pleased."
Paul had contented himself by formally saluting Cécile and her mother. Angry at this lack of demonstrativeness, his aunt sent him with a look to the young girl; and when she heard them laughing together she enveloped them in a maternal glance.
M. Hennebeau, however, finished reading his despatches and prepared a few replies. They talked near him; his wife explained that she had not paid attention to this study, which, in fact, retained its faded old red paper, its heavy mahogany furniture, its cardboard boxes, scratched by use. Three-quarters of an hour passed and they were about to seat themselves at table when the footman announced M. Deneulin. He entered in an excited way and bowed to Madame Hennebeau.
"Ah! you here!" he said, seeing the Grégoires.
[181]
