his is a reply to one that
has been sent to Dacca. It must be very annoying for you not to be able
to speak English. You could be the first to announce to the boss that
your cousin will be coming back. Now that little tramp will be the one
to do it."

Talouel hurried forward to meet the telegraph boy.

"Say, you don't hurry yourself, do you?" he cried.

"Do you want me to kill myself?" asked the boy, insolently.

He hurried with the message to M. Vulfran's office.

"Shall I open it, sir?" he asked eagerly.

"Yes, do," said M. Vulfran.

"Oh, it is in English," replied Talouel, as he looked at the missive.

"Then Aurelie must attend to it," said M. Vulfran, and with a wave of
his hand dismissed the manager.

As soon as the door had closed Perrine translated the cable.

It read: "Friend Leserre, a French merchant. Last news from Dehra five
years. Wrote Father Makerness according to your wish."

"Five years," cried M. Vulfran. Then, as he was not the sort of man to
waste time in regrets, he said to Perrine: "Write two cables, one to M.
Leserre in French and one to Father Makerness in English."

She quickly wrote the cable that she had to translate into English, but
she asked if she could get a dictionary from Bendit's office before she
did the one in French.

"Are you not sure of your spelling?" asked M. Vulfran.

"No, I am not at all sure," she replied, "and I should not like them at
the office to make fun of any message that is sent by you."

"Then you would not be able to write a letter without making mistakes?"

"No, I know I should make a lot of mistakes. I can spell French words
all right at the commencement, but the endings I find very difficult. I
find it much easier to write in English, and I think I ought to tell you
so now."

"Have you never been to school?"

"No, never. I only know what my father and mother taught me. When we
stopped on the roads they used to make me study, but I never studied
very much."

"You are a good girl to tell me so frankly. We must see to that, but for
the moment let us attend to what we have on hand."

It was not until the afternoon, when they were driving out, that he
again referred to her spelling.

"Have you written to your relations yet?" he asked.

"No, sir."

"Why not?"

"Because I would like nothing better than to stay here with you, who are
so kind to me," she said.

"Then you don't want to leave me?" asked the blind man.

"No, I want to help y