ildren: little girls all in
white, like brides, and little bareheaded boys, with curly hair, dressed
in their best, like princes, already looking in every direction to find
where their mothers were. A splendid fellow, nine years of age, walked
by himself in the middle, clad like Saint John the Baptist, with a
sheepskin over his thin, bare shoulders. Four little girls, covered with
pink ribbons, bore a shield on which was a sheaf of ripe wheat. Then
there were young girls grouped around a banner of the Blessed Virgin;
ladies in black, who also had their special banner of crimson silk, on
which was embroidered a portrait of Saint Joseph. There were other
and still other banners, in velvet or in satin, balanced at the end of
gilded batons. The brotherhoods of men were no less numerous; penitents
of all colours, but especially the grey penitents in dark linen suits,
wearing cowls, and whose emblems made a great sensation--a large cross,
with a wheel, to which were attached the instruments of the Passion.

Angelique exclaimed with tenderness when the children came by:

"Oh, the blessed darlings! Do look at them all!"

One, no higher than a boot, scarcely three years of age, proudly
tottered along on his little feet, and looked so comical that she
plunged her hands into her basket and literally covered him with
flowers. He quite disappeared under them for an instant; he had roses
in his hair and on his shoulders. The exquisite little laughing shout he
uttered was enjoyed on every side, and flowers rained down from all the
windows as the cherub passed. In the humming silence of the street one
could now only hear the deafened sound of the regular movement of feet
in the procession, while flowers by the handful still continued to fall
silently upon the pavement. Very soon there were heaps of them.

But now, reassured upon the good order of the laymen, the Abbe Cornille
grew impatient and disturbed, inasmuch as the procession had been
stationary for nearly two minutes, and he walked quickly towards the
head of it, bowing and smiling at the Huberts as he passed.

"What has happened? What can prevent them from continuing?" said
Angelique, all feverish from excitement, as if she were waiting for some
expected happiness that was to come to her from the other end that was
still in the church.

Hubertine answered her gently, as usual:

"There is no reason why they should run."

"There is some obstruction evidently; perhaps it i