gratitude for all your
kindness to a poor, friendless creature like myself. But, before you
blame me, and drive me off the premises with my poor children, just
question that wretched creature that has caused all this confusion what
she knows of me. I know a pretty deal more of her than is to her
credit!"

"For Heaven's sake, Marie," exclaimed Madame Dubreuil, almost petrified
with astonishment, "What does this woman allude to? Do you hear what she
says?"

"Are you, or are you not known by the name of the Goualeuse?" said the
milk-woman to Marie.

"Yes," said the wretched girl, in a low, trembling voice, and without
venturing to lift up her eyes towards Madame Dubreuil,--"yes, I am
called so."

"There you see!" vociferated the enraged labourers. "She owns it! she
owns it!"

"What does she own?" inquired Madame Dubreuil, half frightened at the
assent given by Fleur-de-Marie.

"Leave her to me, madame," resumed the widow, "and you shall hear her
confess that she was living in a house of the most infamous description
in the Rue-aux-Feves in the Cite, and that she every morning purchased a
half-pennyworth of milk of me. She cannot deny either having repeatedly
spoken in my presence to the murderer of my poor husband. Oh, she knows
him well enough, I am quite certain; a pale young man, who smoked a good
deal, and always wore a cap and a blouse, and wore his hair very long;
she could tell his name if she chose. Is this true, or is it a lie?"
vociferously demanded the milk-woman.

"I may have spoken to the man who killed your husband," answered
Fleur-de-Marie, in a faint voice; "for, unhappily, there are more than
one in the Cite capable of such a crime. But, indeed, I know not of whom
you are speaking!"

"What does she say?" asked Madame Dubreuil, horror-struck at her words.
"She admits having possibly conversed with murderers?"

"Oh, such lost wretches as she is," replied the widow, "have no better
companions!"

At first, utterly stupefied by so singular a discovery, confirmed,
indeed, by Fleur-de-Marie's own admission, Madame Dubreuil seemed almost
incapable of comprehending the scene before her; but quickly the whole
truth presented itself to her mental vision, and shrinking from the
unfortunate girl with horror and disgust, she hastily seized her
daughter by the dress, as she was about to sustain the sinking form of
the poor Goualeuse, and, drawing her towards her with sudden violence,
she exclaimed:

"Cl