rderers of her husband to justice."

"It is a shame to send her away in this manner, like a dog!"

"Can she help it, poor creature, if Miss Clara thinks proper to take up
with common girls and thieves, and make them her companions?"

"Infamous to turn an honest woman, a poor widow with helpless children,
into the streets for such a base girl as that!"

These different speeches, uttered nearly simultaneously by the
surrounding crowd, were rapidly assuming a most hostile and threatening
tone, when Clara joyfully exclaimed:

"Thank God, here comes my mother!"

It was, indeed, Madame Dubreuil, who was crossing the courtyard on her
return from the pavilion.

"Now, then, my children," said Madame Dubreuil, gaily approaching the
assembled group, "will you come in to breakfast? I declare it is quite
late! I dare say you are both hungry? Come, Marie!--Clara!"

"Mother," cried Clara, pointing to the widow, "you are fortunately just
in time to save my dear sister Marie from the insults and violence of
that woman. Oh, pray order her away instantly! If you only knew what she
had the audacity to say to Marie!"

"Impossible, Clara!"

"Nay, but, dear mother, only look at my poor dear sister! See how she
trembles! She can scarcely support herself. Oh, it is a shame and
disgrace such conduct should ever have been offered to a guest of ours!
My dear, dear friend--Marie, dear!--look up, and say you are not angry
with us. Pray tell me you will try and forget it!"

"What is the meaning of all this?" inquired Madame Dubreuil, looking
around her with a disturbed and uneasy look, after having observed the
despairing agony of the Goualeuse.

"Ah, now we shall have justice done the poor widow woman!" murmured the
labourers. "Madame will see her righted, no doubt about it!"

"Now, then," exclaimed the milk-woman, exultingly, "here is Madame
Dubreuil. Now, my fine miss," continued she, addressing Fleur-de-Marie,
"you will have your turn of being turned out-of-doors!"

"Is it true, then," cried Madame Dubreuil, addressing the widow, who
still kept firm hold of Fleur-de-Marie's arm, "that you have dared to
insult my daughter's friend, as she asserts? Is this the way you show
your gratitude for all I have done to serve you? Will you leave that
young lady alone?"

"Yes, madame," replied the woman, relinquishing her grasp of
Fleur-de-Marie, "at your bidding I will; for I respect you too much to
disobey you. And, besides, I owe you much