uare. "We have still
ten minutes to wait: whatever shall we do?"

As it happened she had stopped in front of a hawker who stood on the
footway with a basketful of crawfish, crawling, pell-mell, at his feet.
They had certainly come from the sources of the Yeuse, three leagues
away. They were not large, but they were very tasty, for Rose herself
had occasionally caught some in the stream. And thus a greedy but also
playful fancy came to her.

"Oh, mamma!" she cried, "let us buy the whole basketful. It will be
for the feast of welcome, you see; it will be our present to the royal
couple we are awaiting. People won't say that Our Majesties neglect to
do things properly when they are expecting other Majesties. And I will
cook them when we get back, and you'll see how well I shall succeed."

At this the others began to poke fun at her, but her parents ended by
doing as she asked, big child as she was, who in the fulness of her
happiness hardly knew what amusement to seek. However, as by way of
pastime she obstinately sought to count the crawfish, quite an affair
ensued: some of them pinched her, and she dropped them with a little
shriek; and, amid it all, the basket fell over and then the crawfish
hurriedly crawled away. The boys and girls darted in pursuit of them,
there was quite a hunt, in which even the serious members of the family
at last took part. And what with the laughter and eagerness of one and
all, the big as well as the little, the whole happy brood, the sight
was so droll and gay that the folks of Janville again drew near and
good-naturedly took their share of the amusement.

All at once, however, arose a distant rumble of wheels and an engine
whistled.

"Ah, good Heavens! here they are!" cried Rose, quite scared; "quick,
quick, or the reception will be missed."

A scramble ensued, the owner of the crawfish was paid, and there was
just time to shut the basket and carry it to the wagon. The whole family
was already running off, invading the little station, and ranging itself
in good order along the arrival platform.

"No, no, not like that," Rose repeated. "You don't observe the right
order of precedence. The queen mother must be with the king her husband,
and then the princes according to their height. Frederic must place
himself on my right. And it's for me, you know, to make the speech of
welcome."

The train stopped. When Ambroise and Andree alighted they were at first
much surprised to find that e