was a man who was asking for shelter, and that she
could not let us in. But at length she satisfied herself, and unbarred
the heavy door, and admitted us. She was not an unkindly woman; but her
thoughts all travelled in one circle, and that was, that her master,
the miller, had told her on no account to let any man into the place
during his absence, and that she did not know if he would not think two
women as bad; and yet that as we were not men, no one could say she had
disobeyed him, for it was a shame to let a dog be out such a night as
this. Amante, with ready wit, told her to let no one know that we had
taken shelter there that night, and that then her master could not blame
her; and while she was thus enjoining secrecy as the wisest course, with
a view to far other people than the miller, she was hastily helping me
to take off my wet clothes, and spreading them, as well as the brown
mantle that had covered us both, before the great stove which warmed the
room with the effectual heat that the old woman's failing vitality
required. All this time the poor creature was discussing with herself as
to whether she had disobeyed orders, in a kind of garrulous way that
made me fear much for her capability of retaining anything secret if she
was questioned. By-and-by, she wandered away to an unnecessary revelation
of her master's whereabouts: gone to help in the search for his landlord,
the Sieur de Poissy, who lived at the chateau just above, and who had not
returned from his chase the day before; so the intendant imagined he
might have met with some accident, and had summoned the neighbours to
beat the forest and the hill-side. She told us much besides, giving us
to understand that she would fain meet with a place as housekeeper where
there were more servants and less to do, as her life here was very lonely
and dull, especially since her master's son had gone away--gone to the
wars. She then took her supper, which was evidently apportioned out to
her with a sparing hand, as, even if the idea had come into her head,
she had not enough to offer us any. Fortunately, warmth was all that
we required, and that, thanks to Amante's cares, was returning to our
chilled bodies. After supper, the old woman grew drowsy; but she seemed
uncomfortable at the idea of going to sleep and leaving us still in the
house. Indeed, she gave us pretty broad hints as to the propriety of our
going once more out into the bleak and stormy night; but we be