. But since you are here, we can settle our
accounts here, if you are agreeable."

Madame Menoux, however, was looking at her very anxiously. "And how is
my little Pierre?" she asked.

"Why, not so bad, not so bad. He is not, you know, one of the
strongest; one can't say that he's a big child. Only he's so pretty and
nice-looking with his rather pale face. And it's quite certain that if
there are bigger babies than he is, there are smaller ones too."

She spoke more slowly as she proceeded, and carefully sought words which
might render the mother anxious, without driving her to despair. These
were her usual tactics in order to disturb her customers' hearts, and
then extract as much money from them as possible. On this occasion she
must have guessed that she might carry things so far as to ascribe a
slight illness to the child.

"However, I must really tell you, because I don't know how to lie; and
besides, after all, it's my duty--Well, the poor little darling has been
ill, and he's not quite well again yet."

Madame Menoux turned very pale and clasped her puny little hands: "_Mon
Dieu_! he will die of it."

"No, no, since I tell you that he's already a little better. And
certainly he doesn't lack good care. You should just see how La Loiseau
coddles him! When children are well behaved they soon get themselves
loved. And the whole house is at his service, and no expense is spared
The doctor came twice, and there was even some medicine. And that costs
money."

The last words fell from La Couteau's lips with the weight of a club.
Then, without leaving the scared, trembling mother time to recover, the
nurse-agent continued: "Shall we go into our accounts, my dear lady?"

Madame Menoux, who had intended to make a payment before returning to
her shop, was delighted to have some money with her. They looked for
a slip of paper on which to set down the figures; first the month's
nursing, thirty francs; then the doctor, six francs; and indeed, with
the medicine, that would make ten francs.

"Ah! and besides, I meant to tell you," added La Couteau, "that so much
linen was dirtied during his illness that you really ought to add three
francs for the soap. That would only be just; and besides, there were
other little expenses, sugar, and eggs, so that in your place, to act
like a good mother, I should put down five francs. Forty-five francs
altogether, will that suit you?"

In spite of her emotion Madame Menoux felt that