But he was always too difficult to please; he required a big courtyard, a room on the ground floor; in fact, every luxury imaginable.

And then every evening, at the Coupeaus', he seemed to measure the height of the ceilings, study the arrangement of the rooms, and covet a similar lodging.

Oh, he would never have asked for anything better, he would willingly have made himself a hole in that warm, quiet corner.

Then each time he wound up his inspection with these words: "By Jove! you are comfortably situated here." One evening, when he had dined there, and was making the same remark during the dessert, Coupeau, who now treated him most familiarly, suddenly exclaimed: "You must stay here, old boy, if it suits you.

It's easily arranged." And he explained that the dirty-clothes room, cleaned out, would make a nice apartment.