The others were just going to retire, when the noisy
band of sailors reappeared at the end of the street.
The French sailors were shouting the “Marseillaise,”
and the Englishmen “Rule Britannia.”
There was a general lurching against the wall, and
then the drunken fellows went on their way toward
the quay, where a fight broke out between the two nations,
in the course of which an Englishman had his arm broken
and a Frenchman his nose split.
The drunken man who had waited outside the door, was
crying by that time, as drunken men and children cry
when they are vexed, and the others went away.
By degrees, calm was restored in the noisy town; here
and there, at moments, the distant sound of voices
could be heard, and then died away in the distance.
One man only was still wandering about, Monsieur Tournevau,
the fish curer, who was annoyed at having to wait
until the following Saturday, and he hoped something
would turn up, he did not know what; but he was exasperated
at the police for thus allowing an establishment of
such public utility, which they had under their control,
to be closed.
He went back to it and examined the walls, trying
to find out some reason, and on the shutter he saw
a notice stuck up. He struck a wax match and
read the following, in a large, uneven hand: “Closed
on account of the Confirmation.”
Then he went away, as he saw it was useless to remain,
and left the drunken man lying on the pavement fast
asleep, outside that inhospitable door.
The next day, all the regular customers, one after
the other, found some reason for going through the
street, with a bundle of papers under their arm to
keep them in countenance, and with a furtive glance
they all read that mysterious notice:
“Closed
on account of the Confirmation.”
Madame Tellier had a brother, who was a carpenter
in their native place, Virville, in the Department
of Eure. When she still kept the inn at Yvetot,
she had stood godmother to that brother’s daughter,
who had received the name of Constance—Constance
Rivet; she herself being a Rivet on her father’s
side. The carpenter, who knew that his sister
was in a good position, did not lose sight of her,
although they did not meet often, for they were both
kept at home by their occupations, and lived a long
way from each other. But as the girl was twelve
years old, and going to be confirmed, he seized that
opportunity to write to his sister, asking her to
come and be present at the ceremony. Their old
parents were dead, and as she could not well refuse
her goddaughter, she accepted the invitation.
Her brother, whose name was Joseph, hoped that by dint
of showing his sister attention, she might be induced
to make her will in the girl’s favor, as she
had no children of her own.
