pride at her tall
son, 'anybody would call him a big man. Even in England he would not be
thought _small_.' Mrs. Wright laughed. 'And in France, where the men are
mostly short--no height at all, to speak of--why, he is a mighty man! So
Mere Bricolin calls him a giant.'

'He _is_ a giant,' said Estelle, looking at Jack, admiringly. 'But why
of the Hospice de la Providence?'

'Because we live in the Hospice, dearie. It does seem more natural to
call a man by the house he lives in.'

'Was this ever a hospital?' exclaimed Estelle, in surprise. She did not
like the idea at all.

'It was some years ago,' said Jack, his foot in the twine, his needle
ready to begin work. 'You wouldn't think it, would you? It is a vast
deal more cosy and comfortable now than it ever was then.'

'How sick people were ever got up here I can't imagine,' observed Mrs.
Wright, knitting vigorously. 'I know I'm never too ready to trudge up
and down that steep path, and I'm a deal better than many of them poor
folk were.'

'A bit lazy, eh, Mother?' replied Jack, smiling. 'We were glad enough of
this shelter when we first came.'

'So we were, my son,' said Mrs. Wright, heartily; 'and I for one am not
grumbling over what should be a blessing. You and I am very happy here,
and it's solid, which some of the houses in Tout-Petit are not. We can't
have our roof blown off,' she added with a laugh.

'There wasn't a decent house to be had then, nor is there-now,' went on
Jack. 'The empty ones were all tumbling to pieces, and in such a state
of dirt that when the landlord offered this to Mother we jumped at it.
It is damp, year in year out. We always have fires burning in the rooms
we use. But what of that? It is cheerful, and we must have some
draw-back wherever we are. But, Missie, this is only a very, very small
part of the old Hospice, just the driest corner. The caves and passages
run the whole length of our terrace, and all the shrubs and flowers you
see were planted to cheer up the sick people.'

'Yes,' said Mrs. Wright, 'they used to sit on this terrace, as well as
take their exercise here. You have seen how sunny and bright it is. But
it is very different in the rooms they lived in. They are very gloomy,
damp, and get no sun at all. They have no windows, and only a glimmer of
light comes through the door.'

'And that was all the air they got, too,' added Jack. 'You shall come
and see them one day, if you like, Missie. It isn't cheerful, but