ve.
The Baroness, who had not left her, gently took her arm.

"Come," she said; "you must come away," she added more firmly as Perrine
attempted to resist her.

Holding her tightly by the arm, she drew her away. They walked on for
some moments, Perrine not knowing what was passing around her, nor
understanding where they were leading her. Her thoughts, her spirit, her
heart, were with her mother.

At last they stopped in one of the side paths; then she saw standing
round her the Baroness, who had now let go of her arm, Grain-of-Salt and
the candy man, but she saw them only vaguely. The Baroness had black
ribbons on her bonnet; Grain-of-Salt was dressed like a gentleman and
wore a high silk hat; Carp had replaced his leather apron by a black
Prince Albert which came down to his feet, and the candy man had cast
aside his white blouse for a cloth coat. For, like the real Parisian who
practises the cult of the dead, they had dressed themselves up in their
best to pay respect to the one they had just buried.

"I want to tell you, little one," commenced Grain-of-Salt, who thought
that he should speak first, being the most important person present; "I
want to tell you that you can stay as long as you like in Guillot Fields
without paying."

"If you'd like to sing with me," said the Baroness, "you can earn enough
to live on. It's a nice profession."

"If you'd like to go into the candy business, I'll teach you; that's a
real trade and a nice one," said the candy man.

Carp said nothing, but with a smile and a gesture he let her understand
that she could always find a bowl of soup at his place ... and good
soup, too!

Perrine's eyes filled with fresh tears, soft tears which washed away the
bitterness of the burning ones which for two days had flowed from her
eyes.

"How good you all are to me," she murmured.

"One does what one can," said Grain-of-Salt.

"One should not leave an honest little girl like you on the streets of
Paris," said the Baroness.

"I must not stay in Paris," replied Perrine; "I must go at once to my
relations."

"You have relations?" exclaimed Grain-of-Salt, looking at the others
with an air which said that he did not think that those relations could
be worth much. "Where are your relations?"

"Near Amiens."

"And how can you go to Amiens? Have you got money?"

"Not enough to take the train, but I'm going to walk there."

"Do you know the way?"

"I have a map in my pocket...."

"Ye