GERMINAL
"Nothing serious," he replied, to re-assure them. "It seems that some blusterers are making a disturbance down there. I am going to see."
But they exclaimed that they would not let him go before he had taken something warm. If not he would come back ill, with his stomach out of order, as he always did. He struggled, gave his word of honour that he was too much in a hurry.
"Listen!" said Jeanne, at last, hanging to his neck, "you must drink a little glass of rum and eat two biscuits, or I shall remain like this, and you'll have to take me with you."
He resigned himself, declaring that the biscuits would choke him. They had already gone down before him, each with her candlestick. In the dining-room below they hastened to serve him, one pouring out the rum, the other running to the pantry for the biscuits. Having lost their mother when very young, they had been rather badly brought up alone, spoilt by their father, the elder haunted by the dream of singing on the stage, the younger mad over painting in which she showed a singular boldness of taste. But when they had to retrench, after the embarrassment in their affairs, these apparently extravagant girls had suddenly developed into very sensible and shrewd managers, with an eye for errors of centimes in accounts. To-day, with their boyish and artistic demeanour, they kept the purse, were careful over sous, haggled with the tradesmen, renovated their dresses unceasingly, and in fact, succeeded in rendering decent the growing embarrassment of the house.
"Eat, papa," repeated Lucie.
Then, remarking his silent gloomy pre-occupation, she was again frightened.
"Is it serious, then, that you look at us like this? Tell us; we will stay with you, and they can do without us at that lunch."
She was speaking of a party which had been planned for the morning. Madame Hennebeau was to go in her carriage, first for Cécile, at the Grégoires, then to call for them, so that they could all go to Marchiennes to dine at the Forges, where the manager's wife had invited them. It was an opportunity to visit the workshops, the blast furnaces and the coke ovens.
"We will certainly remain," declared Jeanne, in her turn.
But he grew angry.
[264]
