n other mornings; and Jeanne,
dispirited, fell asleep again. The day was still young. About eight
o'clock Rosalie made her appearance to recount the morning's chapter
of accidents. Oh! the streets were awful outside; in going for the
milk her shoes had almost come off in the muddy slush. All the ice was
thawing; and it was quite mild too, almost oppressive. Oh! by the way,
she had almost forgotten! an old woman had come to see madame the
night before.

"Why!" she said, as there came a pull at the bell, "I expect that's
she!"

It was Mother Fetu, but Mother Fetu transformed, magnificent in a
clean white cap, a new gown, and tartan shawl wrapped round her
shoulders. Her voice, however, still retained its plaintive tone of
entreaty.

"Dear lady, it's only I, who have taken the liberty of calling to ask
you about something!"

Helene gazed at her, somewhat surprised by her display of finery.

"Are you better, Mother Fetu?"

"Oh yes, yes; I feel better, if I may venture to say so. You see I
always have something queer in my inside; it knocks me about
dreadfully, but still I'm better. Another thing, too; I've had a
stroke of luck; it was a surprise, you see, because luck hasn't often
come in my way. But a gentleman has made me his housekeeper--and oh!
it's such a story!"

Her words came slowly, and her small keen eyes glittered in her face,
furrowed by a thousand wrinkles. She seemed to be waiting for Helene
to question her; but the young woman sat close to the fire which
Rosalie had just lit, and paid scant attention to her, engrossed as
she was in her own thoughts, with a look of pain on her features.

"What do you want to ask me?" she at last said to Mother Fetu.

The old lady made no immediate reply. She was scrutinizing the room,
with its rosewood furniture and blue velvet hangings. Then, with the
humble and fawning air of a pauper, she muttered: "Pardon me, madame,
but everything is so beautiful here. My gentleman has a room like
this, but it's all in pink. Oh! it's such a story! Just picture to
yourself a young man of good position who has taken rooms in our
house. Of course, it isn't much of a place, but still our first and
second floors are very nice. Then, it's so quiet, too! There's no
traffic; you could imagine yourself in the country. The workmen have
been in the house for a whole fortnight; they have made such a jewel
of his room!"

She here paused, observing that Helene's attention was being arouse