bag upon the bare floor of a rustic room, furnished with a bed,
two chairs, a table, and a washstand. The room opened into the
large and smoky kitchen, where the lodgers took their meals with
the people of the farm and with the farmer himself, who was a
widower.

"I washed my hands, after which I went out. The old woman was
fricasseeing a chicken for dinner in a large fireplace, in which
hung the stew-pot, black with smoke.

" 'You have travelers, then, at the present time?' said I to her.

"She answered in an offended tone of voice:

" 'I have a lady, an English lady, who has attained to years of
maturity. She is occupying my other room.'

"By means of an extra five sous a day, I obtained the privilege
of dining out in the court when the weather was fine.

"My cover was then placed in front of the door, and I commenced
to gnaw with hunger the lean members of the Normandy chicken, to
drink the clear cider, and to munch the hunk of white bread,
which, though four days old, was excellent.

"Suddenly, the wooden barrier which opened on to the highway was
opened, and a strange person directed her steps toward the house.
She was very slender, very tall, enveloped in a Scotch shawl with
red borders. You would have believed that she had no arms, if you
had not seen a long hand appear just above the hips, holding a