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The main street presented itself end on, diminished by distance. They paced up
and down, on the grass, along the buildings. Meanwhile the other two were
turning over the papers in feverishhaste. She remained seated, for hours on
end, before herlace-pillow, not venturing to raise her eyes. It waited for the
train, seized it by its wheels, anddrew it violently to itself. It has gripped
it oneknows not where, for the whole carriage shakes in unison.
Joseph rose to
his feet without replying. But hislaughter died away at the sight of the face
that his companion turnedtowards him. A squadron of Uhlans were billeted in the
main building.
An empty hole, and in that hole,their hope.
It is ten thousand
francs and a fifteen years lease. They had arrived that morning, and had
justbecome the purchasers of the Poncet factory.
Hey, Guillaume, that is where
the big pots of theplace meet.
Joseph rose to his feet without replying. His
spectacles slippedfrom his nose, and fell upon the table, their stems in the
air. I do not give you so much as a minuteto accept.
Joseph endeavoured too
late to suppress his brothers untimelyexclamation.
The sight was worth the
trouble of looking at it.
He raised his eyes towards Guillaume and found a
glance that wasawaiting his own. It waited for the train, seized it by its
wheels, anddrew it violently to itself.
Joseph shut the book and flung it upon
the table.
The premises that youhave just inspected. She remained seated, for
hours on end, before herlace-pillow, not venturing to raise her eyes. They had
just passed by at least a dozen big factories in . His eyes never left the
angle of the next corner, whichadvanced to meet him.
There could be no
mistaking the terms of the letter. And yetthey had spent part of the morning
pacing this ground.
Having counted fifty, Joseph halted, struck his heel on the
ground andturned.
The agent raised himself upon the arms of his chair: I
cannot! Joseph stood erect and laid down his footrule: Sir, my brother hasasked
you a question.
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