you muz' not supose----"

"Never mind; 'last few days'--go on."

"Well, sinze those laz' few day' we bigin to feel like we juz' got to
take step' ab-oud that!"

"So you took those steps of the _archeveche_."

"_Chere_, we'll tell you! Yvonne and me, avter all those many 'appy
year' with you, we think we want--ah, _cherie_, you'll pardon that?--we
want ad the laz' to live independent! So we go ad the archbishop. And
he say, 'How _I'm_ going to make you that? You think to be independent
by biccoming Sizter' of Charitie--of Mercy--of St. Joseph?'

"'Ah, no,' we say, 'we have not the geniuz to be those; not even to be
Li'l'-Sizter'-of-the-Poor. All we want--and we coul'n' make ourselv'
the courage to ask you that, only we've save' you so large egspenses
not asking you that already sinze twenty-thirty year' aggo--we want you
to put us in orphan asylum.' We was af-raid at firz' he's goin' to be
mad; but he smile very kine and say: 'Yes, yes; you want, like the good
Lord say, to biccome like li'l' children, eh?'

"'Ah, yes!' we tell him, 'tha'z what we be glad to do. They got
nothing in the worl' we can do, Yvonne and me, so easy like that! And
same time we be no egspense, like those li'l' _orpheline_'; we can wash
dish', make bed', men' apron'; and in that way we be independent!'
Well, he scratch his head; yet same time he smile', while he say, 'Go,
li'l' children, to yo' home. I'll see if Mere Veronique can figs that,
and if yes, I'll san' for you.' And, _cherie_, juz' the way he said
that, we are _sure_ he's goin' to san'."

With her tears running freely Aline softly laughed. She rose, took a
hand of each aunt, laid the two together, bent low, and kissed them,
saying: "He will not, for he shall not. Nothing shall ever part us but
heaven."

XLIV

One evening M. Castanado sat reading to his wife from a fresh number of
the weekly _Courier des Etats-Unis_.

It was not long after the incident last mentioned. Chester had become
accustomed to his new lift in fortune, but as yet no further word as to
the manuscript had reached him; he had only just written a second
letter of inquiry after it. Also that summons to the two aunts, from
the archbishop, of which the pair were so sure, was still unheard; no
need had arisen for Aline to take any counter-step. We _could_ name
the exact date, for it was the day of the week on which the _Courier_
always came, and the week was the last in which a Canal Street