waves, had been cast ashore at Marseilles, where they preached the
gospel to the natives, and converted them all.

I did not believe one word of this, nor did Madeleine, who drew her
reluctant sister away; and when we got her into the open air, rebuked
her for doing what their father would not approve. Gabrielle looked
inclined to defend herself, and make a joke of it. However, a great bell
began to clang so near us as to drown her voice; people were pushing
past us into church, and we found ourselves going against the stream,
and made the best of our way out of it, and back to our quarters.
My father and M. Bourdinave were standing at the door, conversing with
my uncle, and when they saw us they smiled, and my father said, with
unwonted softness in his tone, "Well, children, are you come back? Have
you enjoyed yourselves?" and looked earnestly at Madeleine, whose eyes
sank under his.

My uncle Nicolas kept a mercer's shop, and his shelves and counters were
now so laden with goods that it was difficult to steer our way through
them to the steep stair which led to the floor above; and that, too, was
converted, for the time, into a kind of warehouse; but above that was
the living-room, and above that, again, numerous bedrooms with sloping
sides, and small windows piercing the steep roof. My aunt Jeanne was
good and hospitable to excess. She would not let M. Bourdinave and his
family return to their lodging till they had supped with her, though
there were other guests; so we were jammed rather closely around the
table with little elbow-room. Then ensued clinking of glasses, clatter
of plates, dishes, knives, forks, the buzzing of many tongues, savory
smells of hot viands, and much helping and pressing of one another; much
talk of the price of silks, velvets, and serges; of the credit of such
and such a house; of the state of trade; of the court; and of the