; "and even by her
father's beautiful friend, with whom I have no need to eat salt in
order to believe all the good you have said of her. But, for that very
reason and because we are on this subject, do make a hearty resolve,
dear Jansen, and procure the divorce now at any price and as soon as
possible. You see, I am but a simple woman and have not seen much of
the world, but still I have seen enough to know that even with the best
intentions everything can't go exactly according to rule; and if you
artists sometimes overstep the bounds rather more than is necessary,
still you are not one of the kind who would do such a thing merely out
of wantonness. And I know, too, why you haven't wanted things to be any
different heretofore. But now--believe me, now you owe it to three
beings to provide a pure atmosphere in which you can begin a new life.
And, though you shake your head even now, as much as to say it is
impossible, believe me--"

The door was suddenly thrown open, and little Frances came jumping in,
holding a candied fruit in her hand, of which she had taken a bite, and
which she insisted upon the little foster-mother's tasting too. Jansen
took the dear little creature in his arms, pressed her passionately to
his breast, and kissed her bright eyes. Then he gave her back to the
little wife and said, in a voice choked with emotion:

"There, you have her again! God reward you for your kindness and good
sense. We will finish our talk some other time."

He stepped into the room again where his two friends had been waiting,
their conversation confined to a rather tiresome attempt to make
themselves understood by the deaf old woman. Julie read in Jansen's
eyes that his interview had not met with the desired success; but, hard
as it was for her to relinquish her plan and not to take the child with
her at once, she refrained from all hasty objections, and rested
content with the promise that little Frances should soon visit her.

It was only after they were in the carriage that Jansen informed her of
the objections raised by the little woman. Julie listened in silence,
with downcast eyes and burning cheeks. Angelica, on the contrary,
attempted, in her droll way, to protest against this project, to
which she, as the protecting genius of the two foolish lovers, had
given her consent, being considered so very wild and impracticable.
By imperceptible degrees, however, she passed from scolding the
capricious little woman to p