of your dwelling."

She then drew near to Claudet; gave him her hand in comrade fashion, and
saluted Julien:

"Good-morning, Monsieur de Buxieres, I am very glad to see you here. Was
it Claudet who brought you, or did you come of your own accord?"

While Julien, dazed and bewildered, was seeking a reply, she passed
quickly to the next group, going from one to another, and watching with
interest the placing of the bouquet on the summit of the hut. One of the
men brought a ladder and fastened the flowers to a spike. When they
were securely attached and began to nod in the air, he waved his hat and
shouted: "Hou, houp!" This was the signal for going to table.

The food had been spread on the tablecloth under the shade of the
ash-trees, and all the guests sat around on sacks of charcoal; for Reine
and Julien alone they had reserved two stools, made by the master, and
thus they found themselves seated side by side. Soon a profound, almost
religious, silence indicated that the attack was about to begin; after
which, and when the first fury of their appetites had been appeased, the
tongues began to be loosened: jokes and anecdotes, seasoned with
loud bursts of laughter, were bandied to and fro under the spreading
branches, and presently the wine lent its aid to raise the spirits of
the company to an exuberant pitch. But there was a certain degree
of restraint observed by these country folk. Was it owing to Reine's
presence? Julien noticed that the remarks of the working-people were in
a very much better tone than those of the Auberive gentry, with whom he
had breakfasted; the gayety of these children of the woods, although of
a common kind, was always kept within decent limits, and he never once
had occasion to feel ashamed. He felt more at ease among them than
among the notables of the borough, and he did not regret having accepted
Claudet's invitation.

"I am glad I came," murmured he in Reine's ear, "and I never have eaten
with so much enjoyment!"

"Ah! I am glad of it," replied the young girl, gayly, "perhaps now you
will begin to like our woods."

When nothing was left on the table but bones and empty bottles, Pere
Theotime took a bottle of sealed wine, drew the cork, and filled the
glasses.

"Now," said he, "before christening our bouquet, we will drink to
Monsieur de Buxieres, who has brought us his good wine, and to our sweet
lady, Mademoiselle Vincart."

The glasses clinked, and the toasts were drunk with