sons outgrow them. 'Fine talking! Much he cares for the old mother if
he can see the young girl go with him.'

For Lanty's eyes had brightened at sight of a slight little figure,
trim to the last degree, with a jaunty little cap on her dark hair, gay
trimmings to the black apron, dainty shoes and stockings that came
tripping down the path. His tongue instantly changed to French from
what he called English, as in pathetic insinuating modulations he
demanded how she could be making him weary his very heart out.

'Who bade you?' she retorted. 'I never asked you to waste your time
here!'

'And will ye not give me a glance of the eyes that have made a cinder
of my poor heart, when I am going away into the desolate north, among
the bears and the savages and the heretics?'

'There will be plenty of eyes there to look at your fine green and
gold, for the sake of the Paris cut; though a great lumbering fellow
like you does not know how to show it off!'

'And if I bring back a heretic bru to break the heart of the mother,
will it not be all the fault of the cruelty of Mademoiselle Victorine?'

Here Estelle, unable to withstand Lanty's piteous intonations, broke
in, 'Never mind, Laurent, Victorine goes with us. She went to be
measured for a new pair of slices on purpose!'

'Ah! I thought I should disembarrass myself of a great troublesome
Irishman!'