NOTES FROM A DIARY 157 



found Monsieur Boniface taking his 

 absinthe at a small green table outside the 

 inn. He enveloped me with his optimistic 

 smile. 



" Ah, surely ^lonsieur has done great 

 things on such a day !" 



I had walked at least twenty kilometres, 

 and was very tired. I was inclined, more- 

 over, to be resentful at those pepper-pot 

 estimates of distance. 



Monsieur Boniface was solicitous. " But 

 stu'ely — surely JMonsieur has taken some- 

 thing ! Perhaps it was a trifle further 

 than suggested, but to an ardent fisher 

 a few steps more or less is a mere 

 * bagatelle.' Ah, Monsieur, do not keep 

 me longer in suspense, and I have waited 

 over an hour to accompany you to dinner ! 

 Hand me your bag 1" 



I lifted it off my shoulders and Mon- 

 sieur Boniface seized it eagerly, fumbling 

 in its depths till he produced my one 

 trout. 



" But this is magnificent I" he remarked 

 sententiously, laying the fish upon the 

 table. " Henri, Marie, Madame !" 



The whole staff of the inn emerged 



