All this time, Mother Etienne and Germaine were buying, tempted by
one thing after another, silks, laces, stuffs for dresses, and a
number of toilet articles, for both were, though you would not
have suspected it, rather coquettish. Father Gusson--delighted
with his visit to the farm and the business he had done there--was
anxious to leave Mother Etienne a little remembrance.

[Illustration: Father Gusson the peddler comes to the farm.]

"Madame," he said, holding out a small china jar carefully sealed
with parchment, "assuredly you do not need this just now, but if I
should never come back, and if it should happen that one day your
beautiful hair should grow thin, turn grey, or fall out, you have
only to rub your head with this sweet-scented ointment and at once
your hair will grow again thick and of its original colour. I
cannot, alas! give you the recipe, it is a secret left me by my
parents."

Then Father Gusson bade farewell to the two women and went on his
way with "Neddy," both much refreshed by their pleasant rest.

Mother Etienne handed Germaine the precious pot of ointment to put
with their other purchases into the big cupboard, and they thought
no more about it.

One day as she sat by the fire with Yollande, watching the dinner,
a bright and whimsical idea occurred to the maid. "Supposing I
were to try the ointment on the hen? But--it might be good for
feathers too--anyhow, it could not do any harm."