The Fat and the Thin eBook

Émile Gaboriau
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 490 pages of information about The Fat and the Thin.

The Fat and the Thin eBook

Émile Gaboriau
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 490 pages of information about The Fat and the Thin.

Muche had caught sight of her from the market, where he was amusing himself by dropping little dead fishes into the gutter, following them along the kerb as the water carried them away, and declaring that they were swimming.  However, the sight of Pauline standing in front of the shop and looking so smart and pretty made him cross over to her, capless as he was, with his blouse ragged, his trousers slipping down, and his whole appearance suggestive of a seven-year-old street-arab.  His mother had certainly forbidden him to play any more with “that fat booby of a girl who was stuffed by her parents till she almost burst”; so he stood hesitating for a moment, but at last came up to Pauline, and wanted to feel her pretty striped frock.  The little girl, who had at first felt flattered, then put on a prim air and stepped back, exclaiming in a tone of displeasure:  “Leave me alone.  Mother says I’m not to have anything to do with you.”

This brought a laugh to the lips of Muche, who was a wily, enterprising young scamp.

“What a little flat you are!” he retorted.  “What does it matter what your mother says?  Let’s go and play at shoving each other, eh?”

He doubtless nourished some wicked idea of dirtying the neat little girl; but she, on seeing him prepare to give her a push in the back, retreated as though about to return inside the shop.  Muche thereupon adopted a flattering tone like a born cajoler.

“You silly!  I didn’t mean it,” said he.  “How nice you look like that!  Is that little cross your mother’s?”

Pauline perked herself up, and replied that it was her own, whereupon Muche gently led her to the corner of the Rue Pirouette, touching her skirts the while and expressing his astonishment at their wonderful stiffness.  All this pleased the little girl immensely.  She had been very much vexed at not receiving any notice while she was exhibiting herself outside the shop.  However, in spite of all Muche’s blandishments, she still refused to leave the footway.

“You stupid fatty!” thereupon exclaimed the youngster, relapsing into coarseness.  “I’ll squat you down in the gutter if you don’t look out, Miss Fine-airs!”

The girl was dreadfully alarmed.  Muche had caught hold of her by the hand; but, recognising his mistake in policy, he again put on a wheedling air, and began to fumble in his pocket.

“I’ve got a sou,” said he.

The sight of the coin had a soothing effect upon Pauline.  The boy held up the sou with the tips of his fingers, and the temptation to follow it proved so great that the girl at last stepped down into the roadway.  Muche’s diplomacy was eminently successful.

“What do you like best?” he asked.

Pauline gave no immediate answer.  She could not make up her mind; there were so many things that she liked.  Muche, however, ran over a whole list of dainties—­liquorice, molasses, gum-balls, and powdered sugar.  The powdered sugar made the girl ponder.  One dipped one’s fingers into it and sucked them; it was very nice.  For a while she gravely considered the matter.  Then, at last making up her mind, she said: 

Copyrights
Project Gutenberg
The Fat and the Thin from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.