e my gold coin, the price of my poor spaniel! I
had meant to have masses said with it.... A child without hands, too!
Oh, it makes one shudder! Somehow that theft took all the heart out of
me. It seemed as if I was to love nothing but it should come to some
wretched end.

"One day at Echelles, I watched a fine carriage coming slowly up the
hillside. There was a young lady, as beautiful as the Virgin Mary, in
the carriage, and a young man, who looked like the young lady. 'Just
look,' he said; 'there is a pretty girl!' and he flung a silver coin to
me.

"No one but you, M. Benassis, could understand how pleased I was
with the compliment, the first that I had ever had: but, indeed, the
gentleman ought not to have thrown the money to me. I was in a flutter;
I knew of a short cut, a footpath among the rocks, and started at once
to run, so that I reached the summit of the Echelles long before the
carriage, which was coming up very slowly. I saw the young man again;
he was quite surprised to find me there; and as for me, I was so pleased
that my heart seemed to be throbbing in my throat. Some kind of instinct
drew me towards him. After he had recognized me, I went on my way again;
I felt quite sure that he and the young lady with him would leave
the carriage to see the waterfall at Couz, and so they did. When they
alighted, they saw me once more, under the walnut-trees by the wayside.
They asked me many questions, and seemed to take an interest in what I
told them about myself. In all my life I had never heard such pleasant
voices as they had, that handsome young man and his sister, for she was
his sister, I am sure. I thought about them for a whole year afterwards,
and kept on hoping that they would come back. I would have given two
years of my life only to see that traveler again, he looked so nice.
Until I knew M. Benassis these were the greatest events of my life.
Although my mistress turned me away for trying on that horrid ball-dress
of hers, I was sorry for her, and I have forgiven her, for candidly, if
you will give me leave to say so, I thought myself the better woman of
the two, countess though she was."

"Well," said Genestas, after a moment's pause, "you see that Providence
has kept a friendly eye on you, you are in clover here."

At these words La Fosseuse looked at Benassis with eyes full of
gratitude.

"Would that I was rich!" came from Genestas. The officer's exclamation
was followed by profound silence.