w them into the house when Aunt Zenobie turned
upon her and stopped her.

"What are you coming for?" she asked. "Do you think we need you to look
after her?"

"Thank you for coming," called out Rosalie to Perrine.

Perrine had nothing to do but to return to the factory, which she did.
But just as she reached the gates a whistle announced that it was
closing time.

CHAPTER XII

NEW SHOES

A dozen times during the day she had asked herself how she could
possibly sleep in that room where she had been almost suffocated. She
was sure that she would not be able to sleep any better that night, or
the next, or the next.

And if she could not find rest after a hard day's work, whatever would
happen to her?

In her little mind she weighed all the consequences of this terrible
question. If she had not the strength to do her work she would be sent
away from the factory, and that would be the end of all her hopes. She
would be ill and there would be no one to help her, and she would have
to lie down at the foot of a tree and die.

It is true that unless she wished she was not obliged to occupy the bed
that she had paid for, but where would she find another, and what would
she say to Rosalie? How could she say in a nice way that what was good
for others was not good for her, and when they knew how disgusted she
had been, how would they treat her? She might create such ill feeling
that she would be forced to leave the factory.

The day had passed without her having come to a decision.

But now that Rosalie had hurt her hand the situation was changed. Poor
Rosalie would probably have to stay in bed for several days, and she
would not know what happened in the house at the end of the yard. She
would not know who slept in the room or who did not; consequently she
need fear no questions. And, on the other hand, as none of the girls in
the room knew who the new lodger for the night had been, neither would
they bother about her; it might very well be someone who had decided to
find a lodging elsewhere.

Reasoning thus, she decided quickly that she would go and sleep in her
new little home. How good it would be to sleep there--nothing to fear
from anyone, a roof to cover her head, without counting the enjoyment of
living in a house of one's own.

The matter was quite decided, and after having been to the baker's to
buy another half a pound of bread for her supper, instead of returning
to Mother Francoise's she again