FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85  
86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   >>   >|  
suddenly began to shiver, he remarked that the room was cold, and blamed himself for not having already lighted the fire. Some logs and some small wood were piled in a corner, near the chimney-piece. "How stupid of me!" he exclaimed; "here am I leaving you to freeze." Then he knelt down before the fireplace, while she protested: "What an idea! Leave all that, and call Zoe." "No, no, she doesn't know how to light the fire properly, and besides, it amuses me." He laughed triumphantly when a bright clear fire began to crackle, filling the room with additional cheerfulness. The place was now a little paradise, said he; but he had scarcely finished washing and dressing when the partition behind the bed was shaken by a vigorous thumping. "Ah! the rascals," he gayly exclaimed. "They are awake, you see! Oh! well, we may let them come, since to-day is Sunday." For a few moments there had been a noise as of an aviary in commotion in the adjoining room. Prattling, shrill chirping, and ringing bursts of laughter could be heard. Then came a noise as of pillows and bolsters flying about, while two little fists continued pummelling the partition as if it were a drum. "Yes, yes," said the mother, smiling and anxious, "answer them; tell them to come. They will be breaking everything if you don't." Thereupon the father himself struck the wall, at which a victorious outburst, cries of triumphal delight, arose on the other side. And Mathieu scarcely had time to open the door before tramping and scuffling could be heard in the passage. A triumphal entry followed. All four of them wore long nightdresses falling to their little bare feet, and they trotted along and laughed, with their brown hair streaming about, their faces quite pink, and their eyes radiant with candid delight. Ambroise, though he was younger than his brothers, marched first, for he was the boldest and most enterprising. Behind him came the twins, Blaise and Denis, who were less turbulent--the latter especially. He taught the others to read, while Blaise, who was rather shy and timid, remained the dreamer of them all. And each gave a hand to little Mademoiselle Rose, who looked like an angel, pulled now to the right and now to the left amid bursts of laughter, while she contrived to keep herself steadily erect. "Ah! mamma," cried Ambroise, "it's dreadfully cold, you know; do make me a little room." Forthwith he bounded into the bed, slipped under the
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85  
86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

exclaimed

 

laughter

 

bursts

 
Ambroise
 
partition
 

Blaise

 
triumphal
 

laughed

 

delight

 

scarcely


falling
 

streaming

 

trotted

 

outburst

 

victorious

 
father
 

Thereupon

 

struck

 

Mathieu

 
tramping

scuffling

 
passage
 

nightdresses

 

enterprising

 

pulled

 

contrived

 

Mademoiselle

 
looked
 

steadily

 

bounded


Forthwith

 

slipped

 

dreadfully

 

dreamer

 

marched

 

boldest

 

Behind

 

brothers

 

candid

 

radiant


younger

 

remained

 

taught

 

turbulent

 

chirping

 

fireplace

 
protested
 

properly

 

additional

 

filling