lfran desired most, now that he had seen Perrine's sweet face,
was to go out and see his works, but this needed great precaution, and
the trip had to be postponed for a time, for he did not wish to be
closed up in a landau with the windows up, but to use his old phaeton
and be driven by Perrine and show himself with her everywhere. For that
they had to wait for a warm, sunny day.

At last the day they wanted came. The sky was blue, the air soft and
warm. After luncheon Perrine gave the order to Bastien for the phaeton
with old Coco to be at the door.

"Yes, at once, mademoiselle," he said with a smile.

Perrine was surprised at the tone of his reply and his smile; but she
paid no more attention to it, as she was busy fussing about her
grandfather so that he would not take cold.

Presently Bastien came to say that the phaeton was ready. Perrine's eyes
did not leave her grandfather as he walked forwards and down the steps
alone. When they reached the last step a loud bray made her start. She
looked up.

There stood a donkey harnessed to a phaeton! A donkey, and that donkey
was like Palikare, a Palikare shiny and glossy, with polished shoes and
adorned with a beautiful yellow harness with blue tassels. The donkey,
with his neck stretched out, continued to bray. In spite of the groom's
hold upon him he turned and tried to get to Perrine.

"Palikare!" she cried.

She flew to him and flung her arms around his neck.

"Oh, grandpapa, what a lovely surprise!" she cried, dancing around her
dear Palikare.

"You don't owe it to me," said her grandfather. "Fabry bought it from
that ragpicker to whom you sold it. The office staff offer it as a gift
to their old comrade."

"Oh, hasn't Monsieur Fabry got a good, kind heart!" cried Perrine.

"Yes, he thought of it, but your cousins did not," said M. Vulfran. "I
have ordered a pretty cart from Paris for him. This phaeton is not the
thing for him."

They got up into the carriage and Perrine took the reins delightedly.

"Where shall we go first, grandpapa?" she asked.

"Why, to the log cabin," he said. "Don't you think I want to see the
little nest where you once lived, my darling?"

He referred to the cabin on the island where she had lived for a time
the preceding year. It remained fondly in his mind. She drove on to the
entrance and helped her grandfather alight at the path.

The cabin seemed just the same as when Perrine left it.

"How strange," said M. Vulfran, "t