ing that Santerre
kept to himself, she again appealed to Mathieu, who once more excused
himself. And it was only then that La Couteau, after glancing askance at
the gentleman who, somehow or other, always turned up whenever she had
business to transact, ventured to intervene:

"Will madame rely on me? If madame will kindly remember, I once before
ventured to offer her my services, and if she had accepted them
she would have saved herself no end of worry. That Marie Lebleu is
impossible, and I certainly could have warned madame of it at the time
when I came to fetch Marie's child. But since madame's doctor had chosen
her, it was not for me to speak. Oh! she has good milk, that's quite
sure; only she also has a good tongue, which is always dry. So if madame
will now place confidence in me--"

Then she rattled on interminably, expatiating on the respectability of
her calling, and praising the value of the goods she offered.

"Well, madame, I tell you that you can take La Catiche with your eyes
shut. She's exactly what you want, there's no better in Paris. Just look
how she's built, how sturdy and how healthy she is! And her child, just
look at it! She's married, she even has a little girl of four at the
village with her husband. She's a respectable woman, which is more than
can be said for a good many nurses. In a word, madame, I know her and
can answer for her. If you are not pleased with her I myself will give
you your money back."

In her haste to get it all over Valentine made a great gesture of
surrender. She even consented to pay one hundred francs a month, since
La Catiche was a married woman. Moreover, La Couteau explained that she
would not have to pay the office charges, which would mean a saving
of forty-five francs, though, perhaps, madame would not forget all
the trouble which she, La Couteau, had taken. On the other hand, there
would, of course, be the expense of taking La Catiche's child back to
the village, a matter of thirty francs. Valentine liberally promised to
double that sum; and all seemed to be settled, and she felt delivered,
when she suddenly bethought herself of the other nurse, who had
barricaded herself in her room. How could they get her out in order to
install La Catiche in her place?

"What!" exclaimed La Couteau, "does Marie Lebleu frighten you? She had
better not give me any of her nonsense if she wants me ever to find her
another situation. I'll speak to her, never fear."

Celeste