hands with her in a familiar, protecting fashion, which the other
considered to be extremely distinguished. Reine, on her side, had smiled
at Maurice, whom she already slightly knew. She looked delightful that
day in her gown of thick blue cloth, her face smiling under her heavy
black tresses, and showing such a likeness to her mother that she seemed
to be the latter's younger sister.

Marianne, quite charmed, called the girl to her: "Come and kiss me, my
dear! Oh! what a pretty young lady! Why, she is getting quite beautiful
and tall. How old is she?"

"Nearly thirteen," Valerie replied.

She had seated herself in the armchair vacated by Constance, and Mathieu
noticed what a keen expression of anxiety there was in her soft eyes.
After mentioning that she also had called in passing to make inquiries,
and declaring that both mother and children looked remarkably well, she
relapsed into gloomy silence, scarcely listening to Marianne, who thanked
her for having come. Thereupon it occurred to Mathieu to leave her with
his wife. To him it seemed that she must have something on her mind, and
perhaps she wished to make a confidante of Marianne.

"My dear Reine," said he, "come with these little ones into the
dining-room. We will see what afternoon snack there is, and lay the
cloth."

This proposal was greeted with shouts of delight, and all the children
trooped into the dining-room with Mathieu. A quarter of an hour later,
when everything was ready there, and Valerie came in, the latter's eyes
looked very red, as if she had been weeping. And that evening, when