of
her. There was always a basket beside Aunt Anne, of clothes she was
making for the poor, for her tapestry was only an evening amusement. In
this basket there was a little white cap such as the peasant children
wore, partly embroidered in white thread. This was Riette's special
work, whenever she came to La Mariniere. Sitting on a footstool beside
her aunt, she stitched away at "le bonnet de la petite Lise." At her
rate of progress, however, as her aunt pointed out with a melancholy
smile, Lise would be a grown-up woman before the cap was finished.

And on this special evening the stitches were both few and crooked.
Riette paid no attention to her work, but sat staring and smiling at
Angelot across the room, and he, instead of talking to his father and
uncle, watched her keenly under his eyelids. Presently he came and stood
near his mother's chair while she asked Riette a few questions about her
lessons that day. It appeared that all had been satisfactory.

"A good little woman, Mademoiselle Moineau," said Riette, softly,
smiling at Angelot, who felt the colour mounting to his hair. "I like
her very much. She pretends to scold, but there is no malice in it, you
know. I don't think she is very clever. Quite clever enough for Sophie
and Lucie, who are most amiable, poor dear children, but stupid--ah!"

"They are older than you, I believe, Henriette," said her aunt,
reprovingly.

"Yes, dear aunt, in years, but not in experience. I have lived, I know
life"--she nodded gently--"while those poor girls--Ah, how charming! May
I have a little dance with Ange, Aunt Anne?"

"I suppose so. Lise will not have her cap yet, it seems," said Madame de
la Mariniere, smiling in spite of herself.

Monsieur Joseph had sat down to the piano and was playing a lively
polka. Angelot started up, seized his little cousin, and whirled her off
down the room. In a minute or two Urbain took off his spectacles, shut
the _Theatre d'Agriculture_ with a sharp clap, walked up to Anne and
held out his hands with a smiling bow.

"I can't resist Joseph's music, if you can, my little lady!"

"It seems we must follow the children," she said. "Riette has just been
pointing out that she, at least, is wiser than her elders."

Angelot and his father jumped their light partners up and down with all
the merry energy of France and a new world. After a few turns, Angelot
waltzed Riette out into the hall, and they stood still for a few moments
under the por