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The agent took shelter, with a wave of his hand, behind the decrees
ofProvidence. Hey, Guillaume, that is where the big pots of theplace meet. A
cloud of smoke from the engine enwrapped it. But imagination and thepassion of
combat had made of them things that were powerless againstdesire. Guillaume
reentered the fray: You have authority to deal, at least? Gabard heaved a
sympathetic sigh: Of course, of course.
Their prevailing impression was that of
anopen wound in the flank of the town. Facinghim were two individuals prepared
to stake their whole existence. The front thatfaced the avenue was
undistinguished.
Then there appeared beneath the two men the little sharpened
tongue ofa steel point.
They had just time to observe a dozen little
oblongboxes, motionless and highly burnished. In the event of any dispute as to
the buildings, Sir, or as to theland, these plans are evidence.
To tell
thetruth, they did not recognise it at first.
He asked himself whether there
was room for thirty pacesmore before he reached the end. What do we need these
things for any more? It is our sky, from to-dayonwards, that black thing up
there.
An empty hole, and in that hole,their hope.
The two hundred chimneys
mentioned in the guide-book bent over it inthe attitudes of caryatids.
The
agent took shelter, with a wave of his hand, behind the decrees ofProvidence.
At the corner of a side-street, Joseph halted.
The sun was sinking behind the
cloud that hadinvaded the atmosphere.
A broken pane hadtime to snip out a
reflection of the sun, and was submerged. I have let you see all the premises
that are vacant at present inVendeuvre. Our object,on our side, is to proceed
as rapidly as possible. Joseph was breathless, and had turned a deep
purple.
The big man found his line of retreat barred by his armchair. They had
arrived that morning, and had justbecome the purchasers of the Poncet
factory.
I hope so for your sake, said Joseph coldly.
Theporters lodge became a
commodious villa. Their mother brought the weaver his food, which he swallowed
betweenhis oaths.
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