nd he succeeded in articulating was a word
of two syllables that resembled that more than it did anything else. As
regarded all other particulars concerning him everyone was in the
dark; it was generally believed, however, that he was married and had
children. He seemed to understand a few words of French, for he would
answer questions that were put to him with an emphatic motion of the
head: "Married?" yes, yes! "Children?" yes, yes! The interest and
excitement he displayed one day that he saw some flour induced them to
believe he might have been a miller. And that was all. Where was the
mill, whose wheel had ceased to turn? In what distant Bavarian village
were the wife and children now weeping their lost husband and father?
Was he to die, nameless, unknown, in that foreign country, and leave his
dear ones forever ignorant of his fate?

"To-day," Henriette told Jean one evening, "Gutman kissed his hand to
me. I cannot give him a drink of water, or render him any other
trifling service, but he manifests his gratitude by the most extravagant
demonstrations. Don't smile; it is too terrible to be buried thus alive
before one's time has come."

Toward the end of October Jean's condition began to improve. The doctor
thought he might venture to remove the drain, although he still looked
apprehensive whenever he examined the wound, which, nevertheless
appeared to be healing as rapidly as could be expected. The convalescent
was able to leave his bed, and spent hours at a time pacing his room
or seated at the window, looking out on the cheerless, leaden sky. Then
time began to hang heavy on his hands; he spoke of finding something to
do, asked if he could not be of service on the farm. Among the secret
cares that disturbed his mind was the question of money, for he did not
suppose he could have lain there for six long weeks and not exhaust his
little fortune of two hundred francs, and if Father Fouchard continued
to afford him hospitality it must be that Henriette had been paying his
board. The thought distressed him greatly; he did not know how to
bring about an explanation with her, and it was with a feeling of deep
satisfaction that he accepted the position of assistant at the farm,
with the understanding that he was to help Silvine with the housework,
while Prosper was to be continued in charge of the out-door labors.

Notwithstanding the hardness of the times Father Fouchard could well
afford to take on another hand, for