The bewildered Frenchwoman felt the same dread of the task before her;
but she bravely said, "What _must_ be done, _can_ be done."

After some further talk with the Signor concerning ways and means,
she bade him good morning, and sat still for a moment to collect her
thoughts. She then proceeded to the apartment assigned to the orphans.
They were occupied with a piece of embroidery she had promised to
sell for them. She looked at the work, praised the exactness of the
stitches and the tasteful shading of the flowers; but while she
pointed out the beauties of the pattern, her hand and voice trembled.

Rosabella noticed it, and, looking up, said, "What troubles you, dear
friend?"

"O, this is a world of trouble," replied Madame, "and you have had
such a storm beating on your young heads, that I wonder you keep your
senses."

"I don't know as we could," said Rosa, "if the good God had not given
us such a friend as you."

"If any _new_ trouble should come, I trust you will try to keep up
brave hearts, my children," rejoined Madame.

"I don't know of any new trouble that _can_ come to us now," said
Rosa, "unless you should be taken from us, as our father was. It seems
as if everything else had happened that _could_ happen."

"O, there are worse things than having _me_ die," replied Madame.