The yellow book: an illustrated quarterly (3.1894)

By Kenneth Grahame 45
to the Chateau. That young lady's remarks, however, could
hardly be called exactly comforting.
" I always thought you'd put your foot in it some day, Mayor,"
she said. " You are so hopelessly wanting in system and method.
Really, under the present happy-go-lucky police arrangements, I
never know whom I may not be called upon to execute. Between
you and my cousin Enguerrand, life is hardly safe in this town.
And the worst of it is, that we other officials on the staff have to
share in the discredit."
" What do you think they'll do to me, Jeanne ? " whimpered
the Mayor, perspiring freely.
"Can't say, I'm sure," pursued the candid Jeanne. "Of course,
if it's anything in the rwf line of business, I shall have to super-
intend the arrangements, and then you can feel sure you're in
capable hands. But probably they'll only fine you pretty smartly,
give you a month or two in the dungeons, and dismiss you from
your post ; and you will hardly grudge any slight personal incon-
venience resulting from an arrangement so much to the advantage
of the town."
This was hardly reassuring, but the Mayor's official reprimand
of the previous day still rankled in this unforgiving young person's
mind.
On their reaching the Chateau, the Mayor was conducted aside,
to be dealt with by Thibault ; and from the sounds of agonised
protestation and lament which shortly reached Jeanne's ears, it
was evident that he was having a The
young lady was shown respectfully into a chamber apart, where
she had hardly had time to admire sufficiently the good taste of
the furniture and the magnificence of the tapestry with which the
walls were hung, when the Seigneur entered and welcomed her
with a cordial grace that put her entirely at her ease.

" Your