Madame Caravan had an idea.

‘Go and bring up the deal box that ’s in the vestibule; it isn’t worth two francs: we can easily put it here.’

And when the box arrived they began the removal.

They lifted out, one after the other, the cuffs, the collars, the chemises, the bonnets, all the poor belongings of the old body stretched out there behind them, and arranged them methodically in the wooden box in order to deceive Madame Braux, the other child of the dead woman who would come the next day.

When this was done, they first carried down the drawers, then the bulk of the chest of drawers, taking an end each: and both of them sought for a time in which place it would go best. They decided on the bedroom, opposite the bed, between the two windows.

Once the drawers were in place, Madame Caravan filled it with her own linen. The clock was put on the dining-room mantelpiece, and the couple considered the effect obtained. They were immediately charmed by it.

‘That goes very well,’ she said.

‘Yes, very well.’

Then they went to bed. She blew out the candle, and soon everybody was asleep on both floors of the house.

It was already broad daylight when Caravan opened his eyes. His wits were all muddled when he awoke, and he did not recall what had happened until several minutes had gone. The remembrance struck him like a blow in his heart, and he jumped out of bed, greatly affected, ready to cry again.

He went up very quickly to the room above, where Rosalie was still asleep, in the same position as the night before, having spent the whole night in one long nap. He sent her away to her work, replaced the burnt-out candles, then he looked at his mother, turning over in his mind those imitations of profound thoughts, those religious and philosophical banalities which haunt average intelligences in the face of death.

But as his wife was calling him, he went downstairs. She had drawn up a list of things to do in the forenoon, and she handed him the long list of which he was afraid. He read:

(1) Make the declaration at the Town Hall.

(2) Ask for the doctor to certify death.

(3) Order the coffin.

(4) Call at the church.

(5) The undertakers.

(6) The printers for the invitations.

(7) The lawyer.

(8) The telegraph office to tell the family.

Besides a crowd of small messages.

Then he took his hat and went away.