le Pierre shouting
out, in his clear voice, for Beatrice to bring him his supper. I think
I should like to have died that night, and I thought I should too; for
when I was obliged to throw myself on the cold, hard ground, my feet
were too torn and weary to bear me any further.

"Just then the moon got up; and do you know I felt a comfort in looking
at it, for I knew it was shining on our little cottage, and it seemed
like an old friend's face? A little way on, as I saw by the moon, was a
village: and I saw, too, that a man was coming towards me; he must have
heard me crying, I suppose.

"Was not God good to me? This man was a farmer, who had need of a girl
in his house; he made me tell him why I was alone, and I told him the
same story I have told you, and he believed me and took me home. I had
walked six long leagues from our village that day, asking everywhere for
work in vain; and here, at bedtime, I found a bed and a supper!

"Here I lived very well for some months; my master was very good and
kind to me; but, unluckily, too poor to give me any wages; so that I
could save nothing to send to my poor mother. My mistress used to scold;
but I was used to that at home, from Aunt Bridget: and she beat me
sometimes, but I did not mind it; for your hardy country girl is not
like your tender town lasses, who cry if a pin pricks them, and give
warning to their mistresses at the first hard word. The only drawback
to my comfort was, that I had no news of my mother; I could not write
to her, nor could she have read my letter, if I had; so there I was,
at only six leagues' distance from home, as far off as if I had been to
Paris or to 'Merica.

"However, in a few months I grew so listless and homesick, that my
mistress said she would keep me no longer; and though I went away as
poor as I came, I was still too glad to go back to the old village
again, and see dear mother, if it were but for a day. I knew she would
share her crust with me, as she had done for so long a time before; and
hoped that, now, as I was taller and stronger, I might find work more
easily in the neighborhood.

"You may fancy what a fete it was when I came back; though I'm sure we
cried as much as if it had been a funeral. Mother got into a fit, which
frightened us all; and as for Aunt Bridget, she SKREELED away for hours
together, and did not scold for two days at least. Little Pierre offered
me the whole of his supper; poor little man! his slice of brea