trength
to play with them, and remained in a dreamy state, with her hands
resting on the warm ground, amidst the vibrations of the sunrays.
Within her a wave of health was swelling and stifling her. The trees
seemed to take Titanic shape, and the air was redolent of the perfume
of roses. In wonder and delight, she dreamt of all sorts of vague
things.

"What are you thinking of, mademoiselle?" asked Rosalie uneasily.

"I don't know--of nothing," was Jeanne's reply. "Yes, I do know. You
see, I should like to live to be very old."

However, she could not explain these words. It was an idea, she said,
that had come into her head. But in the evening, after dinner, as her
dreamy fit fell on her again, and her mother inquired the cause, she
suddenly put the question:

"Mamma, do cousins ever marry?"

"Yes, of course," said Helene. "Why do you ask me that?"

"Oh, nothing; only I wanted to know."

Helene had become accustomed to these extraordinary questions. The
hour spent in the garden had so beneficial an effect on the child that
every sunny day found her there. Helene's reluctance was gradually
dispelled; the house was still shut up. Henri never ventured to show
himself, and ere long she sat down on the edge of the rug beside
Jeanne. However, on the following Sunday morning she found the windows
thrown open, and felt troubled at heart.

"Oh! but of course the rooms must be aired," exclaimed Rosalie, as an
inducement for them to go down. "I declare to you nobody's there!"

That day the weather was still warmer. Through the leafy screen the
sun's rays darted like golden arrows. Jeanne, who was growing strong,
strolled about for ten minutes, leaning on her mother's arm. Then,
somewhat tired, she turned towards her rug, a corner of which she
assigned to Helene. They smiled at one another, amused at thus finding
themselves side by side on the ground. Zephyrin had given up his
raking, and was helping Rosalie to gather some parsley, clumps of
which were growing along the end wall.

All at once there was an uproar in the house, and Helene was
thinking of flight, when Madame Deberle made her appearance on the
garden-steps. She had just arrived, and was still in her travelling
dress, speaking very loudly, and seemingly very busy. But immediately
she caught sight of Madame Grandjean and her daughter, sitting on the
ground in the front of the lawn, she ran down, overwhelmed them with
embraces, and poured a deafening flood o