Why shouldn't he--"
But Nance shook her head at that.
"Why then?" demanded Mrs. Tom, with visions of some one besides Tom to
talk to of an evening--a good-looking, sensible one too. "Why?"
"He and Tom don't get on well together--"
"Pardi, I'm not surprised at that. It would need an angel out of heaven
to get on with him sometimes. What induced me ever to marry such a
grumbler I don't know. I wonder if Monsieur What-is-it?--Gard--would
come back if I could arrange it?"
But Nance shook her head again.
"Ah--ha, ma garche, and you would sooner he did not--is it not so?"
"I'm quite sure he and Tom would never get on together, and I don't
think Mr. Gard would come."
"It's worth trying, however. He would be some one to talk to of an
evening any way."
And so, when Tom came in that evening, she tackled him on the subject.
"Say then, mon beau,"--and as she said it she could not but contrast his
slouching bulk with the straight, well-knit figure of the other--"why
should we not take in a lodger as all the rest do? Our two rooms there
are empty and--"
"Who's the lodger?"
"There is one comes up every day to dinner next door, and would stop
there altogether if they had the room.
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