"Make a little room for us, mamma, make a little room! By your back,
mamma! Near your shoulder, mamma!"

Only little Rose remained on the floor, feeling quite vexed and
indignant. She had vainly attempted the assault, but had fallen back.
"And me, mamma, and me," she pleaded.

It was necessary to help her in her endeavors to hoist herself up with
her little hands. Then her mother took her in her arms in order that she
might have the best place of all. Mathieu had at first felt somewhat
anxious at seeing Marianne thus disturbed, but she laughed and told him
not to trouble. And then the picture they all presented as they nestled
there was so charming, so full of gayety, that he also smiled.

"It's very nice, it's so warm," said Ambroise, who was fond of taking his
ease.

But Denis, the reasonable member of the band, began to explain why it was
they had made so much noise "Blaise said that he had seen a spider. And
then he felt frightened."

This accusation of cowardice vexed his brother, who replied: "It isn't
true. I did see a spider, but I threw my pillow at it to kill it."

"So did I! so did I!" stammered Rose, again laughing wildly. "I threw my
pillow like that--houp! houp!"

They all roared and wriggled again, so amusing did it seem to them. The
truth was that they had engaged in a pillow fight under pretence of
killing a spider, which Blaise alone said that he had seen. This