e was my friend. But still he shook his head.

In the meantime, as I had not my rich parents' money to spend, we had to
play in all the villages through which we passed to get money for our
food. And I also wanted to make some money to buy a present for Lise.
Mother Barberin had said that she valued the cow more than anything I
could give her when I became rich, and perhaps, I thought, Lise would
feel the same about a gift. I wanted to give her a doll. Fortunately a
doll would not cost so much as a cow. The next town we came to I bought
her a lovely doll with fair hair and blue eyes.

Walking along the banks of the canal I often thought of Mrs. Milligan
and Arthur and their beautiful barge, and wondered if we should meet it
on the canal. But we never saw it.

One evening we could see in the distance the house where Lise lived. It
stood amongst the trees and seemed to be in an atmosphere of mist. We
could see the window lit up by the flames from a big fire inside. The
reddish light fell across our path as we drew nearer. My heart beat
quickly. I could see them inside having supper. The door and the window
were shut, but there were no curtains to the window, and I looked in and
saw Lise sitting beside her aunt. I signed to Mattia and Capi to be
silent, and then taking my harp from my shoulder, I put it on the
ground.

"Oh, yes," whispered Mattia, "a serenade. What a fine idea!"

"No, not you; I'll play alone."

I struck the first notes of my Neapolitan song. I did not sing, for I
did not want my voice to betray me. As I played, I looked at Lise. She
raised her head quickly and her eyes sparkled. Then I commenced to sing.
She jumped from her chair and ran to the door. In a moment she was in my
arms. Aunt Catherine then came out and invited us in to supper. Lise
quickly placed two plates on the table.

"If you don't mind," I said, "will you put a third; we have a little
friend with us." And I pulled out the doll from my bag and placed her in
the chair next to Lise. The look that she gave me I shall never forget!

CHAPTER XXV

MOTHER, BROTHERS AND SISTERS

If I had not been in a hurry to get to Paris I should have stayed a long
time with Lise. We had so much to say to each other and could say so
little in the language that we used. She told me with signs how good her
uncle and aunt had been to her and what beautiful rides she had in the
barges, and I told her how I had nearly perished in the mine where
Al