'Ah，my dear，'interrupted country Mahiette，assuming in her turn an air of superiority，'what would you have said then，if you had seen the horses of the Princess and the whole retinue of the King at the coronation at Reims in'61—twenty-one years ago！Such housings and caparisons！Some of Damascus cloth，fine cloth of gold，and lined with sable fur；others of velvet and ermine；others heavy with goldsmith's work and great tassels of gold and silver！And the money that it must all have cost！And the beautiful pages riding them！'
'But for all that，'replied Damoiselle Oudarde dryly，'the Flemings have splendid horses；and yesterday a sumptuous supper was given them by Monsieur the Provost-Merchant at the Htel-de-Ville，at which sweetmeats，and hippocras，and spices，and the like delicacies，were set before them.'
'What are you saying，neighbour！'exclaimed Gervaise.
'Why，it was with the Lord Cardinal，at the Petit-Bourbon，that the Flemings supped.'
'Not at all！At the Htel-de-Ville！'
'No，it wasn't—it was at the Petit-Bourbon.'
'I know that it was at the Htel-de-Ville，'retorted Oudarde sharply，'for the very good reason that Doctor Scourable made them a speech in Latin，with which they were very well satisfied.My husband told me，and he is one of the sworn booksellers.'
'And I know that it was at the Petit-Bourbon，'responded Gervaise no less warmly，'for I can tell you exactly what my Lord Cardinal's purveyor set before them：twelve double quarts of hippocras，white，pale，and red；twenty-four boxes of gilded double marchpanes of Lyons；four-and-twenty was torches of two pounds apiece；and six demi-hogsheads of Beaune wine，both white and yellow，the best that could be procured.I hope that's proof enough！I have it from my husband，who's Captain of the fifty guards at the Chatelet，who only this morning was making a comparison between the Flemish Ambassadors and those of Prester John and the Emperor of Trebizonde，who came to Paris from Mesopotamia and wore rings in their ears.'
'So true is it that they supped at the Htel de Ville，'replied Oudarde，quite unmoved by this string of evidence，'that never was seen so fine a show of meats and delicacies.'
'I tell you they were served by Le Sec，the town sergeant at the Petit-Bourbon，and that is what has put you wrong.'
'At the Htel-de-Ville，I say.'
'At the Petit-Bourbon，my dear！And what's more，they lit up the word'Hope，'which stands over the great doorway，with fairy glasses.'
'At the Htel-de-Ville！At the Htel-de-Ville！—for Husson le Voir played the flute to them.'
'I tell you，no！'
'I tell you，yes！'
'I tell you，no！'
The good，fat Oudarde was preparing to reply，and the quarrel would no doubt have ended in the pulling of caps，had not Mahiette suddenly made a diversion by exclaiming：
'Look at those people gathered over there at the end of the bridge.There's something in the middle of the crowd that they're looking at.'
'True，'said Gervaise.'I hear a tambourine.I think it must be little Esmeralda doing tricks with her goat.Quick，Mahiette，mend your pace and bring your boy！You came to see the sights of Paris.Yesterday you saw the Flemings；to-day you must see the gipsy.'
'The gipsy！'cried Mahiette，turning round and clutching her boy by the arm.'God preserve us！She might steal my child！Come，Eustache！'
And she set off running along the quay towards the Grève till she had left the bridge far behind her.Presently the boy，whom she dragged rapidly after her，stumbled and fell on his knees.She drew up breathless，and Oudarde and Gervaise were able to join her.
'That gipsy steal your child！'said Gervaise.'What a very strange notion！'
Mahiette shook her head thoughtfully.
'The strange thing about it，'observed Oudarde，'is that the sachette has the same notion about the Egyptian women.'
'The sachette？'asked Mahiette.'What is that？'
'Why，Sister Gudule，to be sure，'answered Oudarde.
'And who is Sister Gudule？'
'It is very evident that you have lived in Reims not to know that！'exclaimed Oudarde.'That is the nun in the Rat-Hole.'
'What？'said Mahiette，'not the poor woman we are taking this cake to？'
Oudarde nodded.'Yes，the very one.You will see her directly at her window looking on the Grève.She thinks the same as you about these vagabonds of Egypt that go about with their tambourines and fortune-telling.Nobody knows why she has this abhorrence of Zingari and Egyptians.But you，Mahiette，why should you run away at the mere sight of them？'
'Oh，'answered Mahiette，clasping her boy's fair head to her bosom，'I would not have that happen to me that happened to Paquette la Chantefleurie.'
'Oh，you must tell us that story，my good Mahiette，'said Gervaise，taking her arm.