dies were
always secreted. Then she embraced him, playing quite a love comedy,
while her revenge found satisfaction in the anguish which she imagined
she could read on her mother's pallid face. Monsieur Rambaud beamed
with joy over his restoration to his little sweetheart's good graces.
But Helene, on meeting him in the ante-room, was usually able to
acquaint him with the state of affairs, and all at once he would look
at the draught standing on the table and exclaim: "What! are you
having syrup?"

Jeanne's face clouded over, and, in a low voice, she replied: "No, no,
it's nasty, it's nauseous; I can't take it."

"What! you can't drink this?" questioned Monsieur Rambaud gaily. "I
can wager it's very good. May I take a little of it?"

Then without awaiting her permission he poured out a large spoonful,
and swallowed it with a grimace that seemed to betoken immeasurable
satisfaction.

"How delicious!" he murmured. "You are quite wrong; see, just take a
little to try."

Jeanne, amused, then made no further resistance. She would drink
whatever Monsieur Rambaud happened to taste. She watched his every
motion greedily, and appeared to study his features with a view to
observing the effects of the medicine. The good man for a month gorged
himself in this way with drugs, and, on Helene gratefully thanking
him, merely shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh! it's very good stuff!" he declared, with perfect conviction,
making it his pleasure to share the little one's medicines.

He passed his evenings at her bedside. The Abbe, on the other hand,
came regularly every second day. Jeanne retained them with her as long
as possible, and displayed vexation when she saw them take up their
hats. Her immediate dread lay in being left alone with her mother and
the doctor, and she would fain have always had company in the room to
keep these two apart. Frequently, without reason, she called Rosalie
to her. When they were alone with her, her eyes never quitted them,
but pursued them into every corner of the bedroom. Whenever their
hands came together, her face grew ashy white. If a whispered word was
exchanged between them, she started up in anger, demanding to know
what had been said. It was a grievance to her that her mother's gown
should sweep against the doctor's foot. They could not approach or
look at one another without the child falling immediately into violent
trembling. The extreme sensitiveness of her innocent little being
induced i