; you would civilise her, and,
between us, we should turn her into a young lady, for whom we should,
by-and-by, find a suitable husband. It seemed such a perfect scheme. And
then how was I to guess that old philosophising Jeanbernat would never
stir an inch from his lettuce-beds? Well! well! I myself never left
my own laboratory. I had such pressing work there.... And it is all my
fault! Ah! I am a stupid bungler!'

He was choking, and wished to go off. And he began to look about him for
his hat, though, all the while, he had it on his head.

'Good-bye!' he stammered; 'I am going. So you won't come? Do, now--for
my sake! You see how miserable, how upset I am. I swear to you that she
shall go away immediately afterwards. That is all settled. My gig is
here; you might be back in an hour. Come, do come, I beg you.'

The priest made a sweeping gesture; such a gesture as the doctor had
seen him make before the altar.

'No,' he said, 'I cannot.'

Then, as he accompanied his uncle out of the room, he added:

'Tell her to fall on her knees and pray to God. God will hear her as He
heard me, and He will comfort her as He has comforted me. There is no
other means of salvation.'

The doctor looked him full in the face, and shrugged his shoulders.

'Good-bye, then,' he repeated. 'You are quite well now, and have no
further need of me.'

But, as he was unfastening his horse, Desiree, who had heard his voice,
came running up. She was extremely attached to her uncle. When she had
been younger he had been wont to listen to her childish prattle for
hours without showing the least sign of weariness. And, even now, he
did his best to spoil her, and manifested the greatest interest in her
farmyard, often spending a whole afternoon with her amongst her fowls
and ducks, and smiling at her with his bright eyes. He seemed to
consider her superior to other girls. And so she now flung herself round
his neck, in an impulse of affection, and cried:

'Aren't you going to stay and have some lunch with us?'

But having kissed her, he said he could not remain, and unfastened her
arms from his neck with a somewhat pettish air. She laughed however, and
again clasped her arms round him.

'Oh! but you must,' she persisted. 'I have some eggs that have only just
been laid. I have been looking in the nests, and there are fourteen eggs
this morning. And, if you will stay, we can have a fowl, the white
one, that is always quarrelling with the othe