"Thou art a steady lad, I'll warrant thee," said M. Bourdinave,
approvingly. "Hold fast the form of sound words which hath been given
thee in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus."

"Ay, ay, sir," said I, whipping old Réné smartly. And in another minute
we were thumping and bumping over great paving-stones, too noisily for
conversation to be carried on, and getting into a mêlée of carts,
wagons, and horsemen, all bound for Beaucaire. The women were now in
great delight, looking from side to side, commenting on the dress of
one, the equipage of another, nodding to acquaintance, and crying "O,
look!" to each other, when they saw anything beyond common. I had enough
to do, I assure you, to steer a straight course; and M. Bourdinave
observing it, remarked that he hoped I should be equally vigilant in
steering a straight course through life, which made me cry "Ay, ay,
sir," and set me thinking.

When the road became a little quieter, I heard him and my father
discussing the price of cocoons, the superiority of good cocoons to
cocalons, dupions, and soufflons; which last, I need not tell you, are
very imperfect cocoons; dupions have two threads, and confuse one with
another; and pointed cocoons are apt to break in the winding. But all
these, as you know, are turned to account by the silk-spinner, and
worked up into stockings, sewing-silk, and handkerchiefs. But the good
cocoons that yield a strong, thick, compact filament, are appropriated
by the silk-throwsters.

But this trade-talk was interrupted by cries of amused delight from
the women, and on looking about to see what tickled their fancies, they
pointed out to us a most extraordinary figure, standing bolt upright