Theophrastus had finished dressing. He complained bitterly that a tear in his flowered waistcoat had not been mended. Then he said that he would not lunch at home, since he had an appointment to meet his _friend Old Easy-Going_, at the corner of Guénégaud and Mazarine Streets, _to play a trick on a Monsieur de Traneuse, an engineer officer for whom he had a strong dislike_; but since the appointment was after lunch, he thought he would go and _take the air at the Chopinettes mill_ first.
Marceline was trembling pitiably. She hardly had the strength to say: "It's very bad weather to go to Chopinettes mill."
"Bah! _I'll leave my green umbrella at home and take my Black Feather with me_," said Theophrastus.
With that he went out, putting the finishing touch to his cravat as he went.
On the staircase he met Signor Petito; and they went down it together. Signor Petito greeted M. Longuet with the most respectful politeness, complained of the state of the weather, and paid him a thousand compliments on his air of good health. Theophrastus responded grumpily to these polite advances; and since, when they came out of the house, Signor Petito showed no intention of quitting him, he asked unpleasantly whether the Signora Petito could not be persuaded to learn some other infernal tune besides the _Carnival of Venice_. Signor Petito affected not to notice his carping tone and replied with an amiable smile that she was just going to begin to practise _The Star of Love_, and she would be charmed in the future to devote her talent to any piece which took M. Longuet's fancy. Then even more amiably he said:
"And which way are you going, M. Longuet?"
Theophrastus looked at him with suspicious disfavour and answered:
"I was going to take a turn round Chopinettes mill; but the weather is certainly too bad for that: so I am going down to the Porkers."
"To the Porkers?" said Signor Petito quickly; and he was going to ask where the Porkers was, when he thought better of it, and said, "So am I."
"Indeed? Indeed?" said Theophrastus, eyeing him strangely. "So you're going to the Porkers too?"
"There or elsewhere: it's all the same to me," said Signor Petito; and he laughed a most amiable laugh.
They walked along side by side in silence for a while, till Signor Petito mustered up his courage to ask a question: