He left the church with the Latournelles and followed them
at a distance to the rue Royale, where he saw them enter a house
accompanied by Modeste, whose custom it was to stay with her friends
till the hour of vespers. After examining the little house, which was
ornamented with scutcheons, he asked the name of the owner, and was
told that he was Monsieur Latournelle, the chief notary in Havre. As
Ernest lounged along the rue Royale hoping for a glimpse into the
house, Modeste caught sight of him, and thereupon declared herself too
ill to go to vespers. Poor Ernest thus had his trouble for his pains.
He dared not wander about Ingouville; moreover, he made it a point of
honor to obey orders, and he therefore went back to Paris, previously
writing a letter which Francoise Cochet duly delivered on the morrow
with the Havre postmark.
It was the custom of Monsieur and Madame Latournelle to dine at the
Chalet every Sunday when they brought back Modeste after vespers. So,
as soon as the invalid felt a little better, they started for
Ingouville, accompanied by Butscha. Once at home, the happy Modeste
forgot her pretended illness and her disguise, and dressed herself
charmingly, humming as she came down to dinner,--
"Nought is sleeping--Heart! awaking,
Lift thine incense to the skies.
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