"
"What are my palettes?" asked Fantine.
"The palettes," replied the dental professor, "are the front teeth, the two upper ones."
"How horrible!" exclaimed Fantine.
"Two napoleons!" grumbled a toothless old woman who was present. "Here''s a lucky girl!"
Fantine fled and stopped her ears that she might not hear the hoarse voice of the man shouting to her:
"Reflect, my beauty! two napoleons; they may prove of service.
If your heart bids you, come this evening to the inn of the Tillac d''Argent; you will find me there."
Fantine returned home.
She was furious, and related the occurrence to her good neighbor Marguerite:
"Can you understand such a thing? Is he not an abominable man?
How can they allow such people to go about the country!
Pull out my two front teeth!
Why, I should be horrible! My hair will grow again, but my teeth!
Ah! what a monster of a man! I should prefer to throw myself head first on the pavement from the fifth story!
He told me that he should be at the Tillac d''Argent this evening."
"And what did he offer?" asked Marguerite.
"Two napoleons."
"That makes forty francs."
"Yes," said Fantine; "that makes forty francs."
She remained thoughtful, and began her work.
At the expiration of a quarter of an hour she left her sewing and went to read the Thenardiers'' letter once more on the staircase.