ings
perhaps that are of no interest."

"You are not boring me, Aurelie," said the blind man. "On the contrary,
I am pleased to know, what an honest little girl you are. I like people
who have courage, will, and determination, and who do not easily give
up. If I like finding such qualities in men, how much more pleasure does
it give me to find them in a girl of your age! So ... you started with
five francs thirty-five centimes in your pocket?..."

"A knife, a piece of soap," continued little Perrine, "a thimble, two
needles, some thread and a map of the roads, that was all."

"Could you understand the map?"

"Yes, I had to know, because we used to travel all over the country.
That was the only thing that I kept of our belongings."

The blind man stopped his little guide.

"Isn't there a big tree here on the left?" he asked.

"Yes, with a seat all around it," she replied.

"Come along then; we'll be better sitting down."

When they were seated she went on with her story. She had no occasion to
shorten it, for she saw that her employer was greatly interested.

"You never thought of begging?" he asked, when she came to the time when
she had left the woods after being overtaken by the terrible storm.

"No, sir; never."

"But what did you count upon when you saw that you could not get any
work?"

"I didn't count on anything. I thought that if I kept on as long as I
had the strength I might find something. It was only when I was so
hungry and so tired that I had to give up. If I had dropped one hour
sooner all would have been over."

Then she told him how her donkey, licking her face, had brought her back
to consciousness, and how the ragpicker had saved her from starvation.
Then passing quickly over the days she had spent with La Rouquerie, she
came to the day when she had made Rosalie's acquaintance.

"And Rosalie told me," she said, "that anyone who wants work can get it
in your factories. I came and they employed me at once."

"When are you going on to your relations?"

Perrine was embarrassed. She did not expect this question.

"I am not going any further," she replied, after a moment's hesitation.
"I don't know if they want me, for they were angry with father. I was
going to try and be near them because I have no one else, but I don't
know if I shall be welcomed. Now that I have found work, it seems to me
that it would be better for me to stay here. What will become of me if
they turn me away? I kn