ut, "It won't bite you; you needn't be
afraid."

"I am not, but my dear Arnaut you might make allowances; I never had a
baby in my arms before in my life. I daresay I shall get used to it in
time; use is second nature, they say. But I say, I don't believe it
ought to be bundled up in this way; it can't breathe; it will be
suffocated; I shall open this shawl a little," said Leon, proceeding to
do so, and being immediately rewarded by a long, wailing cry from the
infant.

"There," said the baron, with an impatient exclamation, "now you have
woke it. Why didn't you leave it alone?"

"My dear fellow, it would never have woke again if I had; the poor
little creature was choking," said Leon, sitting the baby up on his
knees, as if it were a year old instead of a few months.

"It will cry the whole way now, and, if we meet anyone, betray our
secret," grumbled the baron.

"Well, I'd rather it cried than have it suffocated, as it infallibly
would have been but for me. Baby, in future years you may thank your
uncle Leon for saving your life. Perhaps if I whistle it will stop
howling. I'll try," said Leon, whistling, in which art he was a great
adept.

But whistling had no effect on the baby, unless it was to make it cry
louder, and Leon was in despair, and the baron getting furious, until it
suddenly occurred to the former to jump the child up and down, as he had
seen Mathilde do. This was successful; as long as Leon danced it about
it was quiet; the moment he stopped it began to cry.

"I wish old Pierre joy if he has to spend the next twenty-four hours in
this way. Drive on, Arnaut; my arms are aching so I can't keep this game
up much longer," said Leon, as they entered the village of Carolles,
where, luckily for them, all the inhabitants had already gone to bed,
and they met no one till they reached the place where the yacht was
lying.

A boat was waiting to take Leon on board with Pierre and the English
carpenter, to whom Leon spoke in English, asking him if he were quite
sure the baby would be well looked after where he proposed to place it,
and on Smith's answering that he was certain it would, Leon turned to
the baron, who did not understand a word of English, and told him he
need have no anxiety about the child.

"All right; I don't want to know where you are going to take it; make
any arrangements you like. If you want more money than I have given you,
let me know and you shall have it. When do you expect to b