Page:Gilbert Parker--The Lane that had No Turning.djvu/143

 ACHETTE told the story to Medallion and the Little Chemist’s wife on Sunday after Mass, and because he was vain of his English he forsook his own tongue and paid tribute to the Anglo-Saxon.

"Ah, she was so purty, that Norinne, when she drive through the parishes all twelve days, after the wedding, a dance every night, and her eyes and cheeks on fire all the time. And Bargon, bagosh! that Bargon, he have a pair of shoulders like a wall, and five hunder’ dollars and a horse and wagon. Bagosh, I say that time: ‘Bargon he have put a belt round the world and buckle it tight to him—all right, ver’ good.’ I say to him: ‘Bargon, what you do when you get ver’ rich out on the Souris River in the prairie west?’ He laugh and throw up his hands, for he have not many words any kind. And the dam little dwarf Parpon, he say: ‘He will have flowers on the table and ice on the butter, and a wheel in his head.’

"And Bargon laugh and say: ‘I will have plenty for my friends to eat and drink and a ver’ fine time.’

"‘Good,’ we all say-‘Bagosh!’

So they make the trip through twelve parish, and the fiddles go all the time, and I am what you say ‘best man’ with Bargon. I go all the time, and Lucette Dargois, she go with me and her brother—holy! what an eye had she in her head, that Lucette! As we go we