d. On
her arm she carried a straw basket; while, thanks to her light, careful
way of picking her steps, her thick-soled boots were scarcely soiled;
and yet the poor girl had walked far that day.

"Rigolette!" exclaimed Fleur-de-Marie, as she recognised her old prison
companion, and the sharer in her rural excursions.[7]

[7] The reader will, perhaps, recollect that in the recital
made by La Goualeuse to Rodolph, at their first meeting at the
ogress's, of the early events of her life, she spoke to him of
Rigolette, who, a friendless child like herself, had been
(with her) confined in a _maison de detention_ until she had
reached the age of sixteen.

"La Goualeuse!" returned the grisette, and with one accord the two girls
threw themselves into each other's arms.

Nothing more touchingly beautiful could be imagined than the contrast
between these two young creatures, both so lovely, though differing so
entirely from one another in appearance: the one exquisitely fair, with
large, melancholy blue eyes, and an outline of feature of faultless
purity, the pale, pensive, intellectual cast of the whole countenance
reminding the observer of one of those sweet designs of a village maid
by Greuze,--the same clear delicacy of complexion, the same ineffable
mixture of graceful pensiveness and candid innocence; the other a
sparkling brunette, with round rosy cheek and bright black eyes, set off
by a laughing, dimpled face and mirthful air,--the very impersonation of
youthful gaiety and light-heartedness, the rare and touching specimen of
happy poverty, of contented labour, and honest industry!

After the first burst of their affectionate greetings had passed away,
the two girls regarded each other with close and tender scrutiny. The
features of Rigolette were radiant with the joy she experienced at this
unexpected meeting; Fleur-de-Marie, on the contrary, felt humbled and
confused at the sight of her early friend, which recalled but too
vividly to her mind the few days of peaceful calm she had known previous
to her first degradation.

"Dear, dear Goualeuse!" exclaimed the grisette, fixing her bright eyes
with intense delight on her companion. "To think of meeting you at
last, after so long an absence!"

"It is, indeed, a delightful surprise!" replied Fleur-de-Marie. "It is
so very long since we have seen each other."

"Ah, but now," said Rigolette, for the first time remarking the rustic
habiliments of La Goualeu