His mother was waiting for him in her room.
"If you had not come," she said, "I should never have dared to go down." In a minute Roland's voice was heard on the stairs: "Are we to have nothing to eat to-day, hang it all ?" There was no answer, and he roared out, with a thundering oath this time: "Josephine, what the devil are you about ?" The girl's voice came up from the depths of the basement.
"Yes, M'sieu--what is it ?" "Where is your Miss'es ?" "Madame is upstairs with M'sieu Jean." Then he shouted, looking up at the higher floor: "Louise!" Mme.

Roland half opened her door and answered: "What is it, my dear ?" "Are we to have nothing to eat to-day, hang it all ?" "Yes, my dear, I am coming." And she went down, followed by Jean.
Roland, as soon as he saw him, exclaimed: "Hallo! There you are! Sick of your home already ?" "No, father, but I had something to talk over with mother this morning." Jean went forward holding out his hand, and when he felt his fingers in the old man's fatherly clasp, a strange, unforeseen emotion thrilled through him, and a sense as of parting and farewell without return.
Mme.

Roland asked: "Pierre is not come down ?" Her husband shrugged his shoulders.
"No, but never mind him; he is always behind-hand.

We will begin without him." She turned to Jean: "You had better go to call him, my child; it hurts his feelings if we do not wait for him." "Yes, mother.

I will go." And the young man went.