him closely, and whisked up her delicate line and rod again with
triumphant success.

"O no, monsieur, certainly not. The wife of the barber is not cruel to
the poor child, but she is careless. Her health is delicate, and she
sits all day, looking out at window. Consequently, when the Corporal
first came, the poor little Bebelle was much neglected."

"It is a curious--" began Mr. The Englishman.

"Name? That Bebelle? Again you are right, monsieur. But it is a
playful name for Gabrielle."

"And so the child is a mere fancy of the Corporal's?" said Mr. The
Englishman, in a gruffly disparaging tone of voice.

"Eh, well!" returned Madame Bouclet, with a pleading shrug: "one must
love something. Human nature is weak."

("Devilish weak," muttered the Englishman, in his own language.)

"And the Corporal," pursued Madame Bouclet, "being billeted at the
barber's,--where he will probably remain a long time, for he is attached
to the General,--and finding the poor unowned child in need of being
loved, and finding himself in need of loving,--why, there you have it
all, you see!"

Mr. The Englishman accepted this interpretation of the matter with an
indifferent grace, and observed to himself, in an injured manner, when he
was again alone: "I shouldn't mind it so much, if these people were not