Again Montparnasse took a grave tone, and said, mouthing every syllable:
“Things.”
And abruptly changing the conversation:—
“By the way!”
“What?”
“Something happened t’other day.
Fancy.
I meet a bourgeois.
He makes me a present of a sermon and his purse.
I put it in my pocket.
A minute later, I feel in my pocket. There’s nothing there.”
“Except the sermon,” said Gavroche.
“But you,” went on Montparnasse, “where are you bound for now?”
Gavroche pointed to his two proteges, and said:—
“I’m going to put these infants to bed.”
“Whereabouts is the bed?”
“At my house.”
“Where’s your house?”
“At my house.”
“So you have a lodging?”
“Yes, I have.”
“And where is your lodging?”
“In the elephant,” said Gavroche.
Montparnasse, though not naturally inclined to astonishment, could not restrain an exclamation.
“In the elephant!”
“Well, yes, in the elephant!” retorted Gavroche.
“Kekcaa?”
This is another word of the language which no one writes, and which every one speaks.
Kekcaa signifies: Qu’est que c’est que cela a? [What’s the matter with that?]
The urchin’s profound remark recalled Montparnasse to calmness and good sense.
He appeared to return to better sentiments with regard to Gavroche’s lodging.
“Of course,” said he, “yes, the elephant.
Is it comfortable there?”
“Very,” said Gavroche.
“It’s really bully there.
There ain’t any draughts, as there are under the bridges.”
“How do you get in?”
“Oh, I get in.”
“So there is a hole?” demanded Montparnasse.
“Parbleu!
I should say so. But you mustn’t tell.
It’s between the fore legs.
The bobbies haven’t seen it.”
“And you climb up?
Yes, I understand.”
“A turn of the hand, cric, crac, and it’s all over, no one there.”
After a pause, Gavroche added:—
“I shall have a ladder for these children.”
Montparnasse burst out laughing:—
“Where the devil did you pick up those young ‘uns?”