ing his forehead upon the
back of his great hands, which held the handle of his hammer upright
upon the anvil. He mused. His four companions watched him, and, like a
tiny mite among these giants, Simon anxiously waited. Suddenly, one of
the smiths, voicing the sentiment of all, said to Philip:

"All the same La Blanchotte is a good and honest girl, stalwart and
steady in spite of her misfortune, and one who would make a worthy wife
for an honest man."

"That is true," remarked the three others. The smith continued:

"Is it the girl's fault if she has fallen? She had been promised
marriage, and I know more than one who is much respected to-day and has
sinned every bit as much."

"That is true," responded the three men in chorus.

He resumed:

"How hard she has toiled, poor thing, to educate her lad all alone, and
how much she has wept since she no longer goes out, save to church, God
only knows."

"That also is true," said the others.

Then no more was heard save the roar of the bellows which fanned the
fire of the furnace. Philip hastily bent himself down to Simon:

"Go and tell your mamma that I shall come to speak to her."

Then he pushed the child out by the shoulders. He returned to his work
and in unison the five hammers again fell upon their anvils. Thus they
wrought the iron until nightfall, strong, powerful, happy, like Vulcans
satisfied. But as the great bell of a cathedral resounds upon feast
days above the jingling of the other bells, so Philip's hammer,
dominating the noise of the others, clanged second after second with a
deafening uproar. His eye on the fire, he plied his trade vigorously,
erect amid the sparks.

The sky was full of stars as he knocked at La Blanchotte's door. He had
his Sunday blouse on, a fresh shirt, and his beard was trimmed. The
young woman showed herself upon the threshold and said in a grieved
tone:

"It is ill to come thus when night has fallen, Mr. Philip."

He wished to answer, but stammered and stood confused before her.

She resumed:

"And you understand quite well that it will not do that I should be
talked about any more."

Then he said all at once:

"What does that matter to me, if you will be my wife!"

No voice replied to him, but he believed that he heard in the shadow of
the room the sound of a body falling. He entered very quickly; and
Simon, who had gone to his bed, distinguished the sound of a kiss and
some words that his mother said very softl