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The Baldwin Library
University
RmB oe
Biehl
BYeMISSeB OU EM:
PIERRETTE. Small gto. Illustrated. $1.25.
A CHILD OF TUSCANY. Small 4to. Illustrated. $1.50.
MY LADY: A Story of Long Ago. 16mo. Illustrated.
es
25.
SERED MARJORIE’S LOVE STORY. Small 4to.
Illustrated. $1.00.
PRINCE TIP TOP. A Fairy Tale. Small gto. Mlus-
trated. $1.00.
SWEET WILLIAM. Small 4to. Illustrated. $1.50.
A. C. McCLURG AND CO., CHICAGO.
“There is something I have wanted to ask you about for a
g time.â€
lon
lees al ie
BY
MARGUERITE BOUVET
AUTHOR OF
“A CHILD OF TUSCANY,â€â€™ “MY LADY,’ “SWEET WILLIAM,â€
“TITTLE MARJORIE’S LOVE STORY,’’ ‘* PRINCE
TIP TOP,’’ ETC.
ILLUSTRATED BY
WILL PHILLIP HOOPER
CHICAGO
A. C. McCLURG AND COMPANY
1896
CopyRIGHT
By A. C. MCCLURG AND Co.
A.D. 1896.
All rights reserved.
o. C_»
@Q=
Illustrated by
“ Are we sure we have done, if only half done,
The good ’t was ours to do?
Hate have we conquered, and by love have we won,
Aye, won our enemy, too?â€
Victor HuGo.
io OR Tee US TR AIIONS:
PAGE
“One evening Pierrette and her mother sat together
beside the window†. . . 1... . OQ
“* Here is a piece of work that once belonged to the
GountessiOfeBeuay . en esse eee 7,
mde ANS Se LIMONS the licirts eres eee ese aay A
“She was just emerging from the big stone portal,
with her precious bundle in herarms†. . . 55
“ Even grumbling old Jeanneton said, when she came
in, that it was as if a sunbeam had entered her
TOOT eases te tags yo de eae arc ag gee ee ae 77
“Elize and Pierrette had been obliged to stand a
little aloof on account of the crowdâ€. . . . 83
“* There is something I have wanted to ask you about
LOtzaglON Sati NC eiie aag eee et ee 7
“*T know, I know, Monsieur, and I thank you in my
Carteret wete tec eee ver ee TTC
“As if all the airy sprites she had heard of in the
old fairy-book were dancing by her in gay
PROGESSi ON Mar wat ta we Me en ee ee eT 23
“They walked down the shady avenue†. . . . 131
Xil PIERRETTE.
PAGE
“He was obliged to have a serious tussle with Joy-
OL My-heartiyarg: eel te ee tee ee ety TAO)
“*But, Madame,’ he said in a feeble voice of apol-
ogy, ‘I donot understand!’â€" . . . . . . 161
--* Look, look, petite mére, it isa Christmas basket’†173
‘Ah, Madame,’ she said, tremulously, ‘you make
meiweby, happyais. eee eee ees ee TOG
“ Pierrette did as she was bidden, and laid the cool,
wet cloth on the old man’s headâ€. . . . . 193
PRRs bea:
CHAPTER I
How was it that she had found her way into
that gloomy, narrow, crowded, noisy quarter of
the Luxembourg, that busy section of Paris
where the people are for the most part poor,
and must live all huddled up together in great
dismal houses, and have to labor very hard to
earn their meagre living! In that vast human
bee-hive where every one, child as well as man
or woman, has some art or trade at which he
toils for the glory and fame of his dear city!
One would scarcely have expected to find
such a bright, pretty little creature as Pierrette
hidden away there under a high attic set in
14 PIERRETTE.
the irregular roofs of one of the oldest houses
in old Paris. Yet I am not sure that these
humble surroundings did not serve the better to
set forth her fresh young beauty, her gentle
little graces, and the sunny nature that made
the dingy garret seem a home instead of a
prison, for a little light often shines brightest
in dark places. Pierrette had no recollection
of any other home. She could remember no
other days than those which she had spent with
“Petite Mére†in the little room under the
peaked roof of the old house. She was very
young when she was brought to it, and she
had grown up there contented, like a young
pigeon in a very small cote, never dreaming of
the wonders and splendors of the great city in
which she lived.
But the “ Little Mother,†who was all alone
in the world now save for Pierrette, could
remember a happier time, when she had had
her own little home in pretty Meudon, in the
beautiful open country, with a broad expanse
of sunshine and sky overhead, and an abun-
dance of sweet air and flowers, and a_ kind
husband to love and care for her; and it was
PIERRETTE. 15
very hard now to live in this wretched way
‘after having once known happiness and peace,
to sit beside her high window in the daytime,
and beside her lamp at night, working with
weary fingers and straining eyes at some bit of
fine lace for which she received scarcely enough
to keep herself and Pierrette from starving.
She was young, and knew very little of the
ways of the great world when she had been left
a widow, and she had thought, like many others,
that her only chance of earning a decent liveli-
hood was in coming to Paris. To Paris, alas!
that great refuge of struggling human beings.
She did not know what life was to the poor ina
creat city; she could not foresee the loneliness,
the disappointments, the trials and hardships
she would have to endure. She had only seen
Paris from without, as it seems to all those who
first look upon its beauty, — gay, brilliant, smil-
ing and beckoning, promising many things.
And she had sold what little she possessed, and
come to this fair haven alone with her little
daughter, but full of hope and courage.
She was very deft with her fingers, as are
most of the women of France, and she had
16 PIERRETTE.,
learned the art of making beautiful laces from
rare old patterns, and she knew that in Pari?
there were many people who paid large sums of
money for the lovely work, and that many
workers were employed by the big merchants
who supplied the luxurious wants and caprices of
the rich world. But the city was very crowded
when she came to live in it, for there were
nearly two millions of people there already, who
were trying to do just what she wanted to do,
to earn a few sous by their handiwork; and she
felt almost lost in that struggling, toiling multi-
tude. They had to live very poorly, for their
resources were small and were soon exhausted ;
and many days and weeks went by before any
one came to offer them any work.
Ah, what despairing days those were for the
poor little mother, as she sat in the miserable
little room, her arms clasped about Pierrette,
weeping and asking God what was to become of
them! Pierrette was too young to understand
or realize what they were suffering, and that
was indeed a blessing; but, young as she was,
she was a comfort to the little mother. For her
the. young widow prayed and lived; without
PIERRETTE, 17
her life would hardly have been worth the effort
she was making to keep it going. The child’s
very ignorance was a blessing, and her innocent
smiles and unconscious childish prattle cheered
many long and weary days of waiting.
They had been living in Paris now nearly five
years, — living a life that would have seemed
miserable to many, for there was but little food
and scanty clothing, and scarcely any fire in the
wintry season, and no fresh, cool air in the hot
summer. Yet the little garret room under the
eaves had during that time grown to be their
home, and they had learned to care for it in
spite of its poverty; because it held all that was
most precious to them in the world, and that
was each other.
It was a bare little room enough, and dismal
enough, when the sun happened to be shining
on the other side of the house, or not at all, for
it had but one small square window; but there
were a few pale flowers doing their best to
bloom in bits of broken china that stood on its
ledge, and an old vine had crept up between
the stones from ever so far down below in the
street, as if purposely to keep them company,
2
18 PIERRETTE.
and a golden canary hung in a cage above this
bit of verdure and sang merrily, all the day: all
of which showed that there was a gentle spirit
reigning there. The walls were dingy and dis-
colored with age, and the floor was made of
chill gray stone, and what few necessities they
had were of the plainest kind; but everything
was well kept and exquisitely neat, for though
the little mother was poor, and a daughter of
the people, she was of the people of France,
who by some inborn, unconscious grace are able
to soften the cruel edges of necessity, and to
make poverty seem iess hideous with them than
it is anywhere else in the world.
One evening Pierrette and her mother sat
together beside the window. It was too early
to light the lamp, and yet too dark to see the
fallen stitches in the lace that she was mending,
and the young woman lay back in her chair
with her eyes closed and her work in her lap,
enjoying one of those rare idle moments that
are so precious to weary workers. Pierrette
nestled closer and looked questioningly at the
pale young face.
“You are very tired, petite mere, let me
“One evening Pierrette and her mother sat together beside
the window.â€
PIERRETTE. 21
stroke your pretty head, and perhaps you will
fall asleep.â€
“Ah, that must not be until night comes, my
Pierrette; the work must be finished first, and
if Pére Michel is pleased, and pays us our
money, we shall be sure of a dinner to-morrow,
and shall sleep all the better for it to-night,â€
said the little mother, with a smile.
“Tt is very bad of people to tear their laces
and take them to Pere Michel for you to mend.
I wish they would not do so any more,†said
the child. ;
“Not so, my little Pierrette; we must be
very grateful to them for taking the lace to
Pére Michel, otherwise there would be nothing
for us todo. It would be a sad time for us if
the rich people gave us no work.â€
“But the mending is tedious and hurts your
eyes, petite mére.â€
“Ves, it is hard to darn up the holes, and to
make them look like the rest; and I could take
more pleasure in setting up a beautiful new
piece from one of.the lovely patterns that I
have. But we must not complain as long as we
can earn a few sous. We are not so poorly off
22 PIERRETTE.
as we might be, not so poorly off as old Jean-
neton, who is sick and who has no little girl to
comfort her, are we, Pierrette? â€
“Oh, no, maman, we are not unhappy like
poor Jeanneton; but then she is old and cross
and ugly, and you will never be old and ugly
like her. You are a sweet, pretty mother, and
of course you are never cross,†and she stroked
the delicate hand that lay in hers. ‘Is it
not always the cross, bad people who are
unhappy?â€
‘‘ Not always, dear; it is more often because
of their misfortunes that people grow cross and
ill-tempered; but we all have a great deal to do
with our own happiness. It is safest to be
good, and to do the duty that God sends us to
do, and happiness will surely follow at some
time,†said the little mother, who had a gentle,
pious nature, and whose faith alone had upheld
her through all her tribulations.
“That is what you always say, petite mere.
I should think that ‘sometime’ would come
very soon for you; for you are so good, so
good that even old Jeanneton calls you a saint.â€
The young mother bent down and kissed
PIERRETTE. 23
Pierrette. To that tender little creature, it was
reward enough for all her goodness and self-
sacrifice that her dear Pierrette should love and
trust her so much. The thought that a little
child, innocent of all this world’s wrongs, looks
to us for every good, and takes us for its model
of every virtue, has served to ennoble and
strengthen many of us when we might otherwise
have been cowardly and weak.
“Now, little mother dear, you must soon
teach me to do the mending; and then perhaps
I can do all of Pére Michel’s work, and you need
only stitch at the beautiful new pieces.â€
“Not yet, my Pierrette; you are still too
young to do such work. You would not do it
well, perhaps, and Pére Michel would scold us.
You know how vexed he is if there is a thread
loose anywhere. You must be content to at-
tend to your little duties at home; and that is as
much help as you can give me for the present.â€
Secretly, the little mother had a dread of
Pierrette’s beginning at her tender age to work
for wages as if she were obliged to earn her
own living. She had seen so many children in
the neighborhood, scarcely older than Pierrette,
24 PIERRETTE.
with tired, careworn faces, bending at some
trade or other, perhaps till late in the night ;
and it seemed a terrible thing to her that a
child should know no childhood because of
poverty and want. She had striven hard that
Pierrette should never know such hardships ;
she cherished a hidden thought that somehow,
at some time, she did not exactly explain to
herself in what way, something would happen
that would bring about a change in Pierrette’s
life, —a change for something brighter and hap-
pier than they had ever known. She felt, like
the fond little mother that she was, that Pier-
rette was unlike other children whom she knew.
She was gentler, more thoughtful and more
loving. Her quiet, simple life had rendered
her not old and unchildlike, but sweetly serious
and reasonable, so that she and the young
mother were like companions, having no thoughts
apart from one another.
Pierrette rose at once and lighted the little
oil-lamp, for it had grown quite dark while they
sat talking. She drew the small round table
into the middle of the room, and set the light
upon it, and her mother’s working chair close
PIERRETTE. 25
beside it, ready for the evening’s work. Then
she went about the room, like a little housewife,
closing the curtains, and covering the canary,
and stirring up the embers ofthe scanty fire
in the hollow of the old chimney.
The evenings were long, for it was just in the
fall of the year, when Paris looks very gray and
bleak after the sun has gone down, and when a
raw chill wind howls fiercely down the gables
of the old houses in the quarter of the Luxem-
bourg, and when every man feels that his own
fireside, however plain and humble it may be, is
assuredly the best place to be in at that hour.
Pierrette and her maman madeavery comfortable
and pleasing picture as they sat together under
the rosy glow of the lamp, —the young mother
bending over her work, and the little girl prepar-
ing her needles, or holding her frame and watch-
ing intently the progress of every stitch. For
Pierrette’s maman was in truth all that the child
had said of her, a sweet, tender, lovely little wo-
man. She had no riches to set off her still girlish
beauty; but her slender figure was graceful in
her neat black gown, and her pretty head and
‘throat rose like a flower from the folds of her
26 PIERRETTE.
white kerchief. She had large gray eyes that
were both mild and fearless, and an abundance
of soft brown hair that waved of its own fancy
about her white temples, a sensitive mouth, and
the sweetest smile in the world, — at least, so
Pierrette thought. And the little girl was
remarkably like her.
What wonder, then, that these two young
creatures were at peace and even happy, happy
in a little garret, with so few of the things which
the world counts necessary to happiness! What
wonder, indeed! For one can be happy almost
anywhere, almost anyhow, when one is young,
CHAPTER II.
VERY early the next morning, Pierrette and
her mother were making their way through the
little narrow dingy street called the “rue des
Anges,†where Pére Michel had his shop. Pier-
rette had often wondered why this small busy
street, hardly more than a generous alley, should
have been given the comely name of “ the street
of the Angels.†Truly the people who inhab-
ited it could not be said to resemble angels in
any particular whatsoever. They were very
substantial, earthly-looking people, especially
the children, of whom the population seemed
chiefly to consist. Yet I am not sure that the
rue des Anges was not a paradise in its way, —a
very dark, dingy, dirty sort of paradise, but well
enough, I dare say, for those who had no notion
28 PIERRETTE.
of one better; for its people were about as easy-
going and care-free a community as one could
wish to meet anywhere in Paris.
The street was hardly more than two hundred
yards long, and yet there were people enough
living in it to populate an ordinary sized village.
It was stocked with curious little shops of vari-
ous small traffic, with all their wares displayed at
one window or case, and that was done with
such skill and grace that the eye of the passer-
by could not but be arrested by their contents.
There was a number of distracting toy-shops,
with gay-colored polichinelles dangling from the
ceiling, and capable of the most fascinating con-
tortions; and it was here that the gamins of the
neighborhood loved to congregate, and stare and
exclaim their admiration, and long in vain for
the airy nothings that the children of the rich
have without the asking and cast aside the next
moment. It was here that little Pierrette glanced
wistfully whenever she travelled back and forth
to Pere Michel’s. There was so much in these
windows, although they were so small, to attract
the eye of a child, — such brilliant coloring, such
quaint devices, such airy fabrications, as only
the artisan of Paris knows how to fashion.
PIERRETTE. 29
At the very end of the street, underneath the
projecting arcades of an old square building,
was a large iron gate-way leading into a circular
court upon which Pére Michel’s dwelling opened.
For Pére Michel’s traffic was of that conserva-
tive sort that he felt perfectly certain of his
patronage no matter how obscure or remote his
place of habitation might be. There was no-
thing at the entrance of the old stone building
to suggest the presence of so important a per-
sonage as Pere Michel. The ignorant might
have gone on looking for him up and down the
rue des Anges, and never found him. But those
who patronized him, or, to speak more exactly,
whom he patronized, knew that they must walk
the entire length of the damp court and, turning
up a short flight of mouldy steps on the left,
knock, with due precaution, at a long glass door
on which was inscribed, in the smallest possible
letters : —
A. MICHEL
NEGOCIANT DE LUXE.
It was not every one, however, who knew by
this inscription just the nature of Pere Michel’s
30 PIERRETTE.
traffic. One had really to enter the little shop
in order to understand the true importance of
his business. But that was not an easy matter
to accomplish, for it was one of old Michel’s
oddities never to admit any one inside his dwell-
ing until he knew precisely what their business
was, and had agreed with them about it before-
hand. In this way he had grown to be a sort of
autocrat in the court; and his neighbors were
much puzzled concerning him, and looked upon
him as a mysterious, and therefore a dangerous,
character. But A. Michel gave them no satis-
faction, and left them to their own conjectures.
All that they gleaned of his doings was from
watching the people who came and knocked at
his door. They were for the most part women,
— ladies and working girls. The ladies came
in their carriages to the entrance of the court,
and were usually covered with long mantles and
closely veiled when they walked out, which did
not in the least disguise the fact that they were
ladies, as every observer at the windows could
tell, by their gait and demeanor.
The others were girls, —shop-girls, working
girls of all classes, who made no attempt to dis-
PIERRETTE. 31
guise their identity, being rather proud than
otherwise of their exploits at Pere Michel's,
and who always came away with delighted faces
and one or more mysterious bundles in their
arms.
Then there were yet a few others, like Pier-
rette’s mother, who came and went so quietly
that they were scarcely noticed by the dwellers
of the court; for they came neither to sell nor
to buy, but to bring and take away the work
with which the old man supplied them.
The little mother gave a gentle tap at the
glass door which was no longer transparent,
because of the great quantity of dust that had
gathered and settled on its surface. Ina few
moments a fat finger appeared on the inside of
the pane, and cleared a small round opening of
its dust, and a round red eye bleared at them
through it. Having satisfied himself that Pier-
rette and her mother were no intruders, Pere
Michel immediately loosened the bolt and stood
before them in a red night-cap and long loose
dressing-gown.
“ Ajie, aie, aie, it is you, Ma’am Elize and
M’amzelle Pierrette, very early and yet too
32 PIERRETTE.
late,†said the old man, with a threatening wrin-
kle in his brow, and yet making a very polite
salutation.
“What do you mean, Monsieur Michel ?â€
said the little mother, in anxious alarm. “ You
told me to bring the lace back on Friday, and
it is only Wednesday.â€
“That is just like you women, Wednesday,
Friday, Thursday!†cried Pére Michel, in his
nasal tenor, and shrugging his shoulders so that
his neck’ almost disappeared between them.
“What is that to me, hein! You think I can
wait till Wednesday or Friday to make a good
bargain! I tell you if I had had that strip of
lace yesterday I might have sold it for thirty
francs. Do you comprehend that? — thirty
good francs !—a fortune that does not drop in
one’s beak every day; and yet you talk to me
of Friday! Aie, aie, aie!’’? and Pere Michel
scratched his ear and frowned as he beckoned
them in and closed the door.
“Oh, Iam so very sorry!†said the little
mother, timidly. “If I had known you wanted
it, I could have worked at night and finished it;
and Pierrette might have brought it yesterday.
PIERRETTE. 33
But I thought this was an order, not a_ piece
for sale.â€
“No, it was not an order this time, and I have
missed a rare chance of making a precious thirty
francs, that is all. It is of no use weeping over
it now,†he added with sudden philosophy, ob-
serving the look of confusion on the young
woman’s face, “no use regretting what is past;
we have no time for that. Come, let us look at
the lace, a pestilence on it! I shall always be a
poor beggar simply because I can never catch
a glimpse of my luck until it is just turning the
corner.â€
Elize untied her little paper parcel with ner-
vous fingers, and displayed about three yards of
soft rich lace, of beautiful texture, and so exquis-
itely wrought that no eye save that of sharp old
Pere Michel could ever have detected that once
its firm edge had been torn and that its roses
lost some of their petals.
The old man took it up in his fingers, and
examined it closely, inch by inch, and spread it
out upon his knees, and held it up to the light,
and then he laid it aside, saying, with rare con-
descension, “It is not so bad, not so bad; †for
+
J
34 PIERRETTE.
which the little mother felt exceedingly grateful,
for the old man never paid one sou for any-
thing until he had thoroughly ascertained that it
was in every way satisfactory. ‘‘Is there some-
thing else for me to take away this morning,
Monsieur Michel?†asked the little woman, with
hesitation.
“But Pére Michel did not answer immediately.
He was busy dropping some eggs into a pot of
boiling water for his breakfast. He did not
know, or perhaps he only appeared not to know,
how anxiously his answer was awaited by the
two young creatures who depended so largely
upon him for their bread. Pere Michel was
such a surprising old person one could never
quite tell what he would do next: His moods
were uncertain, and Elize was never sure whether
she had pleased him or not. He was now deeply
absorbed in a tussle with “ Joy-of-My-Heart,â€
who was taking too active an interest in the
hard-boiled eggs.
Joy-of-My-Heart was a fat, ugly, snarling
poodle with a woolly tangled coat and a most
idiotic expression of countenance as he lay on
his back, all fours in the air, wriggling and mak-
PIERRETTE. 35
ing the most unseemly noises, which amused
Pierrette immensely, although she dared not
laugh, as she knew Pére Michel to be extremely
sensitive on the subject of his beast. It was
another of the old man’s oddities that he had
more regard and affection for this uninteresting
brute than for any human being on earth.
While they sat waiting for him to speak,
Pierrette was looking about the little room to
see what changes had taken place since her last
visit; for the quaint old shop was always a
source of interest and wonder to her. It con-
tained what Pere Michel called his “ luxe,â€
which was a motley assortment of discarded fin-
ery from the ladies of the faubourg. There were
faded silk gowns of several seasons past, and
fascinating ball-dresses whose first freshness
was more or less gone, but which were never-
theless carefully displayed in long glass cases
that lined the walls of the room, and where they
hung with the most tempting effect. There were
old velvet mantles, and high-heeled gilt slippers,
and ostrich feathers of all colors, and indeed an
endless confusion of useless things which the
daughters of Paris love and labor to get, and
36 PIERRETTE.
turn to account, no matter to what station in
life they belong.
In another part of the room, there was an old
wooden coffer with a glass top, in which Pere
Michel kept his articles of the most value.
These were odd bits of jewelry, brooches,
bracelets, fancy combs, rings, a few lockets,
and one or two time-pieces. It was also where
he kept the valuable laces that were brought to
him to be repaired, or to be disposed of when
they had served their time. It was to this
coffer that Pere Michel now turned, having at
length decided to answer the little mother’s
question about more work.
‘“ Here is something,’ he said, opening the
chest and taking from it a small mantilla of
“point d’Alengon†that was almost in shreds.
“Here is a piece of work that once belonged
to the Countess of B. and is now the possession
of Madame de L.†Pére Michel never gave
full names. ‘This enchanting piece of an-
tiquity is itself past all remedy. I told Madame
so. The cat has put her claws through it. But
it is a choice relic as it is; I would not have
it mended for the world; Madame is very
“Here is a piece of work that once belonged to the Countess
of B.â€
PIERRETTE. 39
proud of it. Now, she wishes us to make a
new one from this model. It is a_ beautiful
one, and I have the design and all the neces-
sary materials. How would you like to take
this with you, providing you can promise to
bring it to me finished in two weeks, hark you,
two weeks, and not a minute later?â€
“Oh, I should like it above all things!â€
cried Elize, in happy surprise. This was a
mark of trust which she had hardly dared to
expect from Pere Michel. But the old man
was very shrewd. He knew very well that
of all the people who worked for him, there
was not one who was so honest, so conscien-
tious, and withal so skillful, or who would be so
grateful for this rare piece of handiwork, as was
Elize. And while he appeared to be confer-
ring a great favor upon her by placing it into
her hands, he was in reality serving his best
interests.
“T promise you it will be finished, Monsieur
Michel. I shall work at it all the time; it ‘is
so beautiful, it will really be a pleasure,†said
the young woman, her pretty face all flushed
at this unexpected good fortune.
40 PIERRETTE.
“That is well,†said the old man, beginning
to take the shells from his boiled eggs, and
spreading himself comfortably in his one large
chair. ‘Take your pay, it is on the corner
of the chimney; and you know where I keep
the needles and the thread. Choose what you
need, and do your best; for Madame de TessiSieai
good patron, as you know.â€
Elize did as she was bidden, and promised to
do her best; and then she made a careful
bundle of the work, and, giving her hand to
Pierrette, rose to go.
As she laid her hand on the latch, the door
opened from without and some one entered at
whom Joy-of-My-Heart gave a sudden leap and
a surly growl, leaving his attractive place beside
the egg-pot to bite and snar] at the stranger's
shoes. The stranger was unmistakably a gen-
tleman, an exquisitely dressed French gentle-
man, who raised his hat with much elegance,
and stepped aside to let Elize and the little
girl pass out of Pere Michel’s shop.
CHAPTER III.
PIERRETTE and her mother could hardly help
looking a second time at the surprising mon-
sieur, whose magnificent appearance in the
rue des Anges had indeed brought out the
whole population to comment thereupon from
their doorsteps and windows. Pierrette had
never seen any one quite like him before.
Such a very tall shining silk hat as he wore,
and such an immensely long mustache standing
out on each side of his face like the horns of a
big black beetle! and such piercing eyes as he
looked at them with as they had passed him.
It would not have been in the least surprising
if he had turned out to be the president him-
42 PIERRETTE.
self, or an exiled prince of the house of
Bourbon.
They made their way hurriedly across the
court into the street, so that they did not hear
Pére Michel's greeting of the fine strange gen-
tleman, nor yet Joy-of-My-Heart’s persistent
growls of discontent as the new-comer walked
into the little shop and seated himself in a
graceful attitude on one of Pere Michel's
wooden benches.
‘You see me, Monsieur Michel,†said the
exquisite person, taking a dainty pinch from
a little gold snuff-box which he drew from his
waistcoat pocket. ‘You see me again with a
request upon your indulgence.â€
“IT see you, Monsieur Le Page,’ returned
Pére Michel, with a polite grimace, ‘ with in-
finite regret, if your request is of the same
nature as when you honored me with your last
visit.â€
‘“T must confess that it is,’ returned Monsieur
Le Page. ‘I would have you reconsider your
refusal. You know my reputation in Paris. I
have the largest traffic, in our line of busi-
ness, in the city, and the richest and most
PIERRETTE. 43
notable patronage. I must satisfy the caprice
of a wealthy enthusiast; I resort to a little
harmless stratagem; you assist me. Who is
harmed thereby? No one. I am well paid,
and you receive a munificent reward for
your share in the bargain. Come, Michel,
be reasonable; do not lose sight of your
own interests; you have nothing to lose by
my proposition,†and he twirled the ends of
his long black mustache, and looked hard at
the old man.
‘Nothing to lose, in effect, Monsieur, if I
belonged to your aristocracy, because I should
then have no scruples about doing a dishonest
thing,†and Pere Michel straightened himself
with much dignity. “It may be difficult for
you to comprehend, but we poor, beggarly,
toiling creatures whom you despise, do some-
times have a grain of conscience, and that
prevents us from seeing matters with your
vision.â€
‘““Chut, chut,†rejoined the gentleman, with a
suave wave of his gloved hand, “that is talk,
talk, Monsieur Michel. You and I cannot
afford to tall; we must act. Once for all, will
44 PIERRETTE.
you take my order for the work and bind
yourself to secrecy?â€
“Assuredly not,’ responded Pére Michel,
with grim persistence.
‘Ah, then you are immovable? My good
man, it is foolish, it is stupid. You will regret
your obstinacy some day, some day when it
is too late,†and he shrugged his shoulders
impatiently, and trod absently upon a crawling
spider near his foot, and killed it with that
same suave expression upon his face.
“T shall regret nothing but the time I am
wasting in listening to you,†said Pére Michel,
dividing his fourth egg with Joy-of-My-Heart.
‘Perhaps, then, you will be obliging enough
to address me to some one of your workers
who may not share your scruples, and who
would be grateful for the remuneration?â€
But Pére Michel remained silent, having
turned his attention entirely upon the snarling
poodle, which every now and then jumped up
and uttered a sharp yelp at the intruder, and
then lay wriggling on his back in a confusion
of egg-shells.
“The young person who was just leaving
PIERRETTE. 45
your shop as I entered, it is possible she may
be one of your needle-women, and would be
glad of the work. Come, Monsieur Michel,
give me a little of your assistance. I have a
promise to fulfill, and a promise is a weight
upon a gentleman’s honor. I will make the
offer a thousand francs!†and the gentleman
moved a little closer to the old man, and
leaned forward so that the waxed ends of
his mustache barely escaped the ear of Pere
Michel, and uttered the last words in a most
persuasive whisper.
‘Great thunders and blue lightnings!†ex-
claimed Pere Michel, bouncing out of his chair,
by this time exasperated to the point of quite
losing control of his French temper. ‘Will
you let me alone? Will you go?†and he
pointed to the door with his finger in a melo-
dramatic manner. ‘You have always found
my abode clean; pray leave it as you find it.â€
There was really nothing for the elegant
gentleman to do but to take himself away,
which he did with exquisite grace and a smile
that contrasted oddly with the red, indignant
face of old Michel, who stood with his arm
46 PIERRETTE,
still uplifted, like an avenging spirit, until the
door had closed behind his visitor.
Monsieur Le Page stepped lightly over the
mud in the court, toying with his cane the
while, wearing that same mild expression of
countenance which never forsook him, even
under much more trying encounters than the
one he had just had with Pere Michel. He did
not turn around to see the old tradesman shak-
ing his fat fist at him and muttering between his
teeth, “ Ah, le monstre!â€â€™
Monsieur Le Page was a man of large inter-
ests, the proprietor of one of the richest and
most noted antiquary shops of Paris. His busi-
ness often took him into the very poor and
obscure quarters of the city, where he, in some
mysterious way, unearthed many of his choicest
treasures which the true lovers of antiquity
came from all parts of Europe to admire and
purchase, providing their wealth was great
enough. He often had to encounter much
that was disagreeable and repugnant to him,
when he came in contact with that low, igno-
rant portion of Paris. But he nevertheless
maintained a polite and gentlemanly demeanor.
“Ah, le monstre!â€
PIERRETTE, 49
It was all a necessary means to his prosperity ;
his traffic could not dispense with it, and he was
willing to sacrifice everything, even his own
personal feelings, to the success of his business.
Therefore as he passed the great iron gateway
of Pére Michel’s court, and turned into the rue
des Anges, he only dusted the bottom of his
trousers a little more than usual, and scraped
the soles of his shoes a little longer, as if by
so doing he were ridding himself of some
obnoxious contact.
As luck would have it, just as he was about
to hail a passing cab, he caught sight of Elize’s
slender black figure, with the child’s hand in
hers, just disappearing at the other end of the
street. They had loitered a little on their way,
for Pierrette’s eyes could not help looking at
the fascinating shop-windows. They had stopped
at the bakery, too, to buy a couple of « petits
pains†and a sweet bun or two, and they had
entered one of those delectable little charcuterics,
or French meat-shops, where the most savory
of cooked meats are temptingly displayed on
immaculate paper with festooned edges, and
garnished all around with bits of green parsley
4
50 PIERRETTE.
and red peppers and crisp water-cress. Here
they had bought something for their dinner, for
on the days when Pere Michel paid them they
must always make a little feast and take home
something out of the common, some little dainty
which they shared with their old neighbor
Jeanneton. They were very young at heart,
Pierrette and her little mother, these two chil-
dren of Paris! —young enough to enjoy the
simple pleasures that came in their way. Too
young perhaps to be launched alone in a great
brilliant city full of dangers and temptations.
But they had no thought of that to-day; they
were happy because Pére Michel had not found
fault, and had given more work; and they were
safe and provided for, at least for two weeks to
come.
The strange gentleman hastened his steps and
caught up with them just in time to see them
leaving the broad avenue that fronts the palace
and gardens of the Luxembourg, and turn into
a narrow street where, after a few minutes’ walk,
they reached their own door. ‘They crossed
the dark passage-way and climbed the long
flights of dingy stairs, not aware that any one
PIERRETTE. 51
was watching them. Monsieur Le Page had
kept himself at a judicious distance; but now
he knew where the young ouvriéére lived, in
spite of old Michel, and he was satisfied. He
rode back across the city, to his grand establish-
ment in the rue de Rivoli, well pleased with his
morning’s errand.
CHAPTER IV.
IT was nearly two weeks since Pierrette and
her mother had come away from Pére Michel's
shop with the old lace mantilla; and, true to her
promise, Elize had worked day and night, and
scarcely rested until the beautiful piece was fin-
ished. She was very weary. Her pretty eyes
were red with straining them, and her head
ached, ached and burned as if it were on fire.
The exquisite work was a masterpiece, and
would have brought her a small fortune if she
had not been such a timid little woman, known
to very few people, and so very distrustful of
her own skill that she felt quite repaid if those
who employed her did not scold, never dream-
ing of any praise from any one but little
Pierrette.
PIERRETTE. 53
Hidden away there in her high garret, she
never suspected that the delicate, exquisite
work of her fingers had found its way into
many of the great and rich homes of Paris,
and had been admired and marvelled at. How
many of those lovely creations which we look
upon with pleasure are fashioned in some
dark, dingy room in some remote quarter of
a great city, by some obscure craftsman whose
lot it may never be even to enter the places
where the fruit of his toil is welcomed and
cherished !
Elize was too weary that morning to walk
to Pére Michel’s, and Pierrette had begged to be
allowed to carry the finished work to him. It
was still very early, and the little girl, all
wrapped in her hood and cloak, —for it was
beginning to be very wintry, — was just emerg-
ing from the big stone portal, with her precious
bundle in her arms, when she was met by a
gentleman, strangely enough, the same gentle-
man whom she had seen going into Pere
‘Michel’s some two weeks ago. Yes, it was un-
mistakably he,—the same elegant clothes, the
same glistening black eyes and long mustache,
54 PIERRETTE.
the same air of graciousness as he bent down
and addressed Pierrette.
“My amiable child,†he said, laying his fine,
gloved hand upon the little red hood, “ upon
what errand are you bound so early this wintry
morning? It is a raw, chill time for little peo-
ple like you to be abroad.â€
Pierrette felt a thrill of delight as the hand-
some gentleman who so much resembled a
prince touched her cheek and looked kindly
into her eyes.
“Tam on my way to Pere Michel's to return
the lace for maman. Maman is not -well; she
has stitched so much her head is very tired,â€
said the child, innocently.
«© Ah, maman does the lace work for Monsieur
Michel? Indeed! Now, that is a great pity,
for Michel is a hard-hearted old brute. Perhaps
you would let me look at maman’s work. If it
pleased me I would furnish her plenty of em-
ployment, and pay her five times as much as
Monsieur Michel.â€
“Oh, certainly, Monsieur,’ said Pierrette,
eagerly untying her bundle. ‘‘ Maman would
be very happy, I am sure.â€
“She was just emerging from the big stone portal, with her
precious bundle in her arms.â€
PIERRETTE. 57
They stepped into the court a few paces,
and the gentleman took up the piece of work in
his hands and examined it very carefully, saying
now and then, ‘‘ Marvellous ! extremely ancient,
exquisite!’ and then he wrapped it up with
great care, and gave it back to Pierrette, saying,
‘Tt is well; I shall go up and see your maman
immediately, if you will tell me where I may
find her.â€
Pierrette led him to the first turn in the
spiral stairway, at the top of which there was
a miserable little sky-light whose feeble rays
of light were quite lost by the time they had
descended to the middle floors, and she pointed
up to it.
‘On the eighth floor, Monsieur, the fifth door
to the left,†she said.
“T must caution you,†added Monsieur Le
Page, as Pierrette was taking leave of him, “ not
to mention to Pere Michel what I have said
to you this morning, or that I have been here
at all.â€
‘Indeed, I will not, if Monsieur so wishes it,â€
said Pierrette, who was naturally an obedient
child, and who had always been taught that
58 PIERRETTE.
when she was forbidden anything it was because
of some very good reason,
Monsieur Le Page then waved his hand to
her and smiled, and began his steep ascent up
the eight flights of steps, while the little girl
sped on her way to the rue des Anges, her little
head full of pleasant fancies about the astonish-
ing gentleman who had appeared to her in the
light of a fairy prince indeed. She did not stop
to look into the shop-windows this morning ;
her mind was too busy trying to imagine what
good fortune would come to them if this rich
and handsome monsieur became their patron
instead of Pére Michel, who was exacting and
not always easy to please, and who paid very
little money for a great deal of work. Then
maman would not have to work so hard to earn
the money for what they needed, and she might
have all the little comforts she wanted. For
although Pierrette was only a little girl, the
problem of life was already a serious thing to
her, as it is to most children who are brought
up in an atmosphere of necessity. , The little
mother had taken Pierrette into her confidence
in everything. Whom else had she to help her
PIERRETTE. 59
to bear the burden of responsibility of their two
young lives! And the little girl had always
proved herself a reasonable and helpful little
companion.
When Monsieur Le Page had reached the top
of the house, he was obliged to pause a few
minutes to catch his breath, before rapping
gently with his gloved knuckles at the fifth door
on the left, —the door of the little attic. Elize
appeared at once, looking as neat and dainty as
any little lady, in her well-fitting black serge and
white apron. She was busy preparing the caf
au-lait for Pierrette’s breakfast, on a little spirit
lamp, and steeping some tisane for her head-
ache. Her pretty face was pale; but it flushed
up suddenly when, on opening the door in
answer to the rapping, she saw the strange
gentleman.
‘A thousand pardons, Madame,†said the
polite visitor, taking notice of Elize’s confusion.
“Pray do not let me disturb you from your
breakfast. You do not know me, it is evident.
My name is Joseph Le Page. I am come to
a little business favor. You will
ask a favor,
honor me by giving me your attention for a
very few minutes.â€
60 PIERRETTE.
“Monsieur Le Page!†repeated Elize, in as-
tonishment. She did not know him personally,
she only remembered having met him that once
coming out of Pére Michel’s door. But she
knew the name well. Who in Paris did not ! —-
the rich dealer in old treasures and works of
art, whose fine establishment occupied an envi-
able portion of the brilliant rue de Rivoli, under
those old arcades immediately facing the Tuil-
eries gardens. Every one knew his name, knew
his wealth, had seen or heard of the little palace
that was his home on the broad road to the
Bois de Boulogne. And this was he standing
before her, in her little garret-room, to ask a
favor of her!
“Monsieur is exceedingly good,†said Elize,
in pretty confusion, and drawing a chair for
him. “I do not understand in what way I
may do Monsieur a favor, but I am entirely at
his service.â€
_ Monsieur Le Page sat down, and again drew
forth his little gold snuff-box. He could hardly
ever get on in any delicate matter of business
without this small talisman. He was in reality
wondering how he should broach the subject of
PIERRETTE. 61
his visit to a simple, womanly little person like
Elize. He saw, with his naturally fine percep-
tion, that although Elize was poor and belonged
to a lower condition of society than himself,
there was an atmosphere of delicacy and refine-
ment about her and all that belonged to her.
He knew, by the look in her candid gray eyes,
that she was incapable of lending herself to any
fraudulent proceeding, that those calm eyes
might light up in anger at any suggestion of
wrong-dealing. He must be very circumspect
and approach her very cautiously. Just now,
she was all modesty and gratitude towards him
for his condescension in coming to find her, —
a simple, obscure, unknown little owvriére like
her!
)
“Madame is an artiste at her trade,†said the
handsome gentleman, “I have seen her work-
manship; it is exquisite; such perfection in
every detail, such delicacy!â€
Elize blushed for pleasure.
“You have lately come to Paris?†inquired
Monsieur Le Page, with a show of interest.
‘“We have been here five years, Pierrette and
I, Monsieur.â€
62 PIERRETTE.
“Five years! it is incredible that I should
not have found you out before, — such a skill-
ful worker. There are plenty of people who
work in lace, Madame, indeed the city is full
of them, but there are not many who work
like you. Where did you learn the art,
Madame?â€
“T had it of my mother when very young,â€
said Elize, simply, “she had acquired her
knowledge at the convent.â€
Monsieur Le Page mused a moment, and then
resumed, ‘ With the proper patronage it is pos-
sible for you to make a very good income, I
might truly say a little fortune, in a city where
the best of everything is sought and appre-
ciated as it is in Paris.â€
At these words Elize’s heart began to beat
very fast. A fair, vague vision rose before her.
Had it not been her one great hope that some-
time, in this vast city of Paris, she would be
found out, and her work recognized and appre-
ciated, that some time, through the labor of her
loving hands, she and Pierrette would be made
comfortable and happy, and perhaps be able to
buy again the little home at Meudon, and go
PIERRETTE. 63
back to the dear country to live among the birds
and flowers!
Monsicur Le Page was watching her closely
to see what effect his words produced. He
wanted, first of all, to win her confidence, and
make her believe thoroughly in his power to
help her.
‘And you have been spending these five
years toiling for that old miser, Michel! Ah,
if I had but known it!â€
“Tt is only three years that I have worked for
Monsieur Michel. For a long time we knew
no one, and it was hard to get anything to do.
I was very grateful for the little money that he
let me earn,†said Elize. She felt that she could
almost smile now, at all her past hardships, so
bright and promising did he make the future
seem for them.
“And he has kept you hidden, and not
allowed any one to know you, the old rascal!
It is like him. He will be mightily vexed when
he hears that I have discovered you and your
lovely work, in spite of him, and that I have
made you a fine offer. Nevertheless,’ pursued
Monsieur Le Page, resting his temple on his
64 PIERRETTE.
forefinger, in a meditative attitude, “we must
not unduly aggravate the old man. An eccen-
tric old personage like Pere Michel, is some-
times dangerous, and his ill-will is not to be
disposed of at any price. It would not be
pleasant for you to offend him, perhaps.â€
“T would not offend Monsieur Michel for the
world,†said Elize, with genuine sincerity. ‘ He
has been very kind to us in his way; and
although he pays but little, ] hardly know what
we should have done without that little.â€
‘That is quite reasonable,†complied Mon-
sicur Le Page ; ‘' the simplest way is not to men-
tion the matter to him at all; to which Elize
agreed, for she knew no reason why she should
not keep her affairs to herself. She was natu-
rally a quiet, reserved, little person. They had
but few friends in the neighborhood; Pére
Michel was really the only person whom they
saw often, and he was not inclined to be over
interested in anything besides the sale and pur-
chase of his own wares and his ugly poodle.
‘“And now,†said the merchant, feeling that
he had quite won the little woman’s sympathy,
“TI want you to do for me a real piece of antique.
PIERRETTE, 65
We deal only in antiquities. The ladies are
crazy after them; they will have nothing but
the oldest patterns in laces, and they come to
me for them, because they know that we have
the means of securing the genuine article, the
most delicate and rarest handiwork that can be
had in the city. You have models of ancient
pieces, did I understand you to say?â€
“Oh, yes,†said Elize, “I have some very
old models, and I have studied them all.â€
‘You will be good enough to show me some
of them, and we shall then make a selection.â€
Elize drew a little key from her pocket and
opened a small wooden chest where she kept
her few treasures. She took from it a roll of
very yellow pieces of parchment upon which
were traced innumerable little holes, so close
and so intricate that only the most carefully
trained eye could have discerned the graceful
pattern that it was made to represent.
Monsieur Le Page put on his gold-rimmed
eye-glasses, and began to unfold and inspect
them one by one.
“Ah, this is chaste!†he exclaimed, with
genuine enthusiasm, as his eye fell upon a very
5
66 PIERRETTE.
ancient-looking piece, yellower and more worn
than the rest, ‘this is superb!
should judge, of no later than the seventeenth
century. Quite such a piece as I have been
looking for; very ancient indeed!â€
“Ves, this is the oldest of all the designs.
I think it is a very rare pattern. It was left
me by my grandmother, who herself had it
of a woman who was lace-maker to one of
our queens many years ago, I cannot tell you
how many.â€
The antiquarian could hardly suppress his
agitation. He was not given ordinarily to vio-
lent betrayal of any emotion. But—it may
have been because of his great love and vener-
ation for all that was old — his fingers certainly
did tremble as he separated the parchment from
the other sheets, and said in atone that had a
little more animation in it than usual, —
“ This must be the one; we shall choose no
other for the present. I will trouble you for not
more than two such pieces a year, possibly not
more than one. But I will pay you liberally.
For this one, I will offer you the sum of one
thousand francs.â€
PIERRETTE. 67
“Oh, Monsieur!†cried Elize, clasping her
hands, and almost ready to fall at his feet, “ you
are too good!â€
“One .thousand francs,†repeated Monsieur
Le Page, with crisp utterance, and not appearing
to notice the little mother’s surprise. “I will
also furnish the materials, for the pearls must be
of the very choicest, and pay you two hundred
francs in advance each month until the work is
done.â€
Innocent, trustful little Elize, she thought she
had never seen any one so beautiful or so
benevolent, so magnanimous, as this slight gen-
tleman with his pale face and thin features and
searching black eyes. She could only account
for the generosity of his heart by the prompt-
ings of her own, if she had been rich and had
seen some fellow-creature in need.
“You are munificent, Monsieur,†was all that
she could say, when suddenly the door opened
and Pierrette came in with rosy cheeks and fly-
ing curls, and eyes dancing with the freshness
of the morning She ran into her mother’s
arms, and Elize laid her head on the little girl’s
neck and wept for joy.
68 PIERRETTE.
“Maman, maman, what is it?†cried the
child.
“Oh, Monsieur is so good, so kind to us,
Pierrette; thank him for me, I cannot.â€
Monsieur Le Page, perhaps made a little
uncomfortable by the pathos of the scene,
promptly took his leave, and promised to return
on the following day. For the first time in his
life, as he descended the dark stairway, he had
an ugly feeling somewhere in the remote locality
of his conscience. He could not account for it
to himself; but he felt as if he had just crushed
some innocent creature with his foot, and gone
off and left it dying; and he almost wished that
he had not met Pierrette and her mother coming
out of Pére Michel’s that morning.
CHARTERS Va
WuHaT a happy prosperous time was now
dawning for the little mother and Pierrette! It
seemed as if they had been suddenly led by
some kind fortune into a new world where every-
thing was bright and peaceful. They would
never again need to be anxious; there would
be no more want and suffering; they would
always have enough to be comfortable,— enough
for themselves and enough for others, perhaps.
Two hundred francs a month seemed such a
fortune for two little souls who had been ac-
customed to do with a few sous a day. And
it had all come to them in a moment, as in
fairy-land, through this kind gentleman who
7O PIERRETTE.
had sought them out and brought such a wealth
of happiness into their little home.
Pierrette and her little mother laughed and
cried and kissed each other many times after
Monsieur Le Page had gone, and prayed in
their simple hearts that Heaven would bless the
saintly gentleman, and keep and prosper him
always because of his goodness.
The season was advancing very fast, and
Paris grew cold and gray; but Pierrette and the
little mother had never thought the city looked
so beautiful, for they minded not the snow and
sleet without, when there was a cheerful fire
within, and their hearts were warm with hope
and gratitude. Elize began to look younger
and prettier than ever, if that were possible,
with the sweet pink color returned to her cheeks
and a deeper warmth in her gray eyes. And
Pierrette was so full of joyous spirits, and her
little tongue was so active, that even grumbling
old Jeanneton said, when she came in to see her,
that it was as if a sunbeam had entered the
room.
“It is very easy to be good when one is
happy, is it not, petite mere?†said Pierrette,
“Even grumbling old Jeanneton said, when she came in, that it
was as if a sunbeam had entered the room.â€
PIERRETTE. 73
when she had been especially lavish in her at-
tentions to the sick old woman, and had taken
a portion of their warm supper to the chiffonnier
who lived on the floor below, and who was laid
up with rheumatism in his bones from having
been out so much in the damp and cold.
“Yes, my Pierrette, if one’s heart is made for
goodness, then prosperity makes it grow richer
and better, as the warm spring sunshine makes
the young flowers sweeter and more beautiful.
You will always think of others, will you not,
Pierrette, no matter how happy you are
yourself ?â€
“Yes, petite mere, I will try to be always as
good as you, as good as Monsieur Le Page,â€
said the child, who regarded the handsome gen-
tleman as the author of all their good fortune.
As for Monsieur Le Page himself, his thoughts,
if he took the trouble to give them shape at all,
were not such simple and artless ones as the
little girl’s and her mamma’s. For many days
and weeks he could not forget the sight of the
pretty child and the sweet young mother weep-
ing in each .other’s arms, — weeping because of
his goodness to them. For a second, perhaps
74 PIERRETTE.
the first time in his life, he had hesitated. The
thought had flashed across his mind that per-
haps it would be better, better for them, if he
did not return to them on the following day to
fulfill his promise; but then it had been only
for one second. What had he to do with senti-
mental scruples? He was a business man, full
of busy interests; he could not, for the sake of
an ignorant little woman and a pretty child,
sacrifice a great gain. It was absurd even to
think of it; besides it could mean no harm to
them as long as they remained ignorant; and
he would see that they remained in ignorance
of his schemes. He would not be as frank with
them as he had been with Pére Michel; he
would not, if he could, dispel their little illusion
about him, and they should never have cause to
think him otherwise than good.
Strange it was that this man who had spent
most of his life in thinking of himself, and caring
nothing for what the rest of the world thought
of him, except that it should know him to be
wealthy and therefore powerful, who had known
no other love in all his life but the love of gain,
should of a sudden care to retain the admiration
PIERRETTE, 75
and confidence of these simple young creatures.
It amazed and puzzled him, and as often as
these thoughts came to him, he would dismiss
them; but they came back to him again and
again, like gentle spirits that will not be repelled.
Through the busy hours of the day, in the soli-
tary grandeur of his home at night, the picture
of those two young faces rose before him, with
their innocence and trust appealing to him, and
at length he almost wished that he had not to
deceive them, that he might be and that he
had been all his life as good and noble as
they believed him.
It is a great thing to wish to become good;
to have even a desire for justice and honesty is
the better part of the battle; and to have
strength and determination enough to obtain
these virtues, after having lived a life of error, is
to become indeed a great conqueror.
Monsieur Le Page was thirty-eight years old.
Half of his life, or very nearly half of it, had
been spent in the pursuit of his own happiness.
To become good all at once, to give up his
selfish habits and little intrigues for gain, of
which he had never before been ashamed, meant
76 PIERRETTE.
a great deal that was disagreeable, and a mighty
struggle for his better self. Monsieur Le Page
did not like struggles. He preferred that every-
thing which came to him should come easily,
as his fortune had done. He had really never
thought before that his conduct needed reform-
ing. What he did was only what thousands of
others were doing, or would do if they were
in his place. Still he felt that the little woman
whose candid eyes had met his so trustfully
would hardly approve his dealings, and still less
give her aid to further them; and he wished
that nothing to his discredit should ever reach
her ears. Every time he visited the small dark
garret, which was perhaps oftener than once a
month, for he was quite anxious about the pro-
gress of the work, the feeling in him grew
stronger that these two, in all their ignorance
and youth, were powerful, while he, with his
wealth and knowledge, was weak. He would
always place the money which he brought in pay-
ment for the work upon the mantel. Somehow he
could not find the heart to put it in that honest
little woman’s hand. And whenever Pierrette
looked up at him with her round childish eyes,
PIERRETTE. Vi
and said, “Oh, Monsieur, you are so good!
â€
You have made maman so happy!†there was
an uncomfortable consciousness that he was
hardly deserving that childish trust.
How beautiful a thing is the trustfulness of
youth; how powerful a thing it is when it can
change the current of a life, and by its sweet
unconscious influence turn a human heart from
its sordid and selfish ends to a just conscious-
ness of right and truth!
CHAPTER VI.
ONE bright morning in December, it was very
near the Christmas time, Pierrette and her
mother were on their way to church. It was
a saint’s day, and they were going to attend the
later mass at the beautiful old church of Saint-
Germain des Prés, which was only a short walk
from where they lived. It was a clear, brisk,
sunny morning, and Paris is always gay when
the sun shines. The bright-colored omnibuses,
with their crowds of lively people a-top of them ;
the cabmen dashing by, cracking their whips
in the air; the busy tradespeople doing their
best to entice those whom the pleasant weather
had brought out of doors ; artists looking from
their high windows and whistling lustily over
their work; young students hanging, with books
PIERRETTE. 79
in hand, at the window of some old curiosity-
shop on their way to the Sorbonne, — all of
which made avery active scene in that most active
portion of Paris known as the Latin Quarter.
Pierrette and her mother walked with light
steps and joyous hearts, for they felt that they
had their full share of the morning’s blessings.
The day before Monsieur Le Page had been to
see them, and had left a large gold coin which
he said was for Pierrette, as it was nearing
Christmas time, and the little girl would wish,
no doubt, for some of the pretty things which
the shops offered at that season, and might
perhaps want to make her young maman some
little gift to celebrate the feast, and he wanted
to gratify her wishes. He had no one at his
home whom he could please with a gift, — no
little girl, no relatives of any kind, no one but
himself, and he was getting tired of pleasing
himself he said.
Pierrette’s first thought had been, not of what
she should get for herself, for she was accus-
tomed to giving up the simple pleasures that
most children enjoy, but of how, with her treas-
ure,she should first of all buy something that
80 PIERRETTE.
the little mother wanted very much, and with
the rest she should get a few things that would
please and surprise her friends in the neighbor-
hood. There was the old chiffonnier, who really
needed some flannel for his rheumatism; and
poor little Frangois, the hunchback, who painted
all day long at those wretched, cheap little bon-
bon boxes, he must have a new box of colors,
which he could ill-atford to buy with the few
sous he earned. And for old Jeanneton, she
would buy some good tea to make her better-
natured; and the canary should have a brand-
new cage with gilded wires, and a leaf of fresh
lettuce every day, so that he, too, might have
a share in her good fortune.
Pierrette was telling all this to her mamma,
as they made their way through the narrow
streets leading to the church of Saint-Germain;
and Elize was smiling with pleasure at the
child’s unselfish delight in what she would do
for others.
“But you must get something for yourself,
my Pierrette,’ said the young mother; “and
what shall it be?â€
“Oh, petite mére,†cried Pierrette, laughing,
PIERRETTE. 81
“JT shall not want to buy anything for myself;
I am getting too old for toys and dolls,’ and
she smiled a demure little smile that amused
her mother greatly. ‘IT would so much rather
buy something for you, —something that you
have wanted very much, and wished you had
many times; you can never guess what it is,
and you will be so surprised when you see it!â€
and she clapped her hands merrily in her en-
joyment of the thought.
‘But will not Monsieur Le Page take it
unkindly that you should spend all his money
on gifts for others, when he meant you should
enjoy it yourself?†said Elize, in gentle
remonstrance.
“ Oh, I shall enjoy seeing you open the little
box on Christmas morning more than anything
else. You cannot guess what it is I have chosen
for you, petite mere!†and Pierrette’s eyes were
so bright, and her cheeks so rosy with the ex-
citement of keeping her secret, that several
persons were obliged to turn back to Jook at
her as she passed them on the street.
They were now turning into the open square
in front of the old church, when a carriage drove
6
82 PIERRETTE,
up from the boulevard, —a large open carriage
trom which a very beautifully dressed lady
alighted, followed by her maid. She was about
to enter the church when she recognized a
gentleman picking his way through the crowd.
“Ah, Monsieur Le Page!†cried the lady,
arresting him, ‘it is so fortunate that I have
met you. I have been twice to see you and not
found you in. You know how anxious I am
about my antique lace; I shall be in despair if
you cannot procure it. My friends tell me it
will be quite impossible; but you will not dis-
appoint me, my dear Monsieur Le Page; you
will obtain it if such a piece is really in
existence!â€
The lady spoke with much animation. She
was evidently one of those worldly deities who
are accustomed to having all their wishes and
whims gratified, however impossible these may
be. And Monsieur Le Page was certainly the
one to whom she could appeal with confidence ;
she knew that he had a miraculous way of pro-
ducing even the impossible, when it became a
necessity. He was truly a remarkable man, this
Monsieur Le Page.
“lize and Pierrette had been obliged to stand a little aloof on
account of the crowd.â€
’
PIERRETTE. 85
It was very strange, Elize and Pierrette had
been obliged to stand a little aloof on account
of the crowd at the doors, and Monsieur had
met their eyes at only a few paces from where
he and the lady stood; but he had made no
sign of recognition to them, apparently taking
no more notice of them than if they had been
strangers to him. But Elize observed that the
natural pallor of his face deepened a little, and
his handsome features wore a singularly an-
noyed expression, as he listened to the lady’s
appeal. She did not hear his reply; it was
given in an undertone; and by that time the
crowd at the door had moved in, and Pierrette
and her mother had disappeared within it. All
through the service Elize’s devotions were
troubled. She could not tell why, but some-
thing seemed to have come suddenly between
her and her new happiness. It was not exactly
because Monsieur Le Page had taken no notice
of them. She could hardly expect a gentleman
of his position to recognize a plain little work-
ing-woman like her. Yet he had always been
so kind to them, so courteous, so considerate
in his dealings with her; she could not but
86 PIERRETTE.
think it strange, and feel a little hurt that he
should have looked at her and ignored her as
if she had been a common beggar in the crowd.
Her young nature was a sensitive one, per-
haps too much so for a little woman who had to
battle for herself in a great heartless city like
Paris. She guessed at once that the richly
dressed lady was one of Monsieur’s patrons.
Fortunately, or unfortunately perhaps, she had
not quite understood the drift of her words;
but she had seen the strange look that came
over the face of Monsieur Le Page, and she
fancied it had something to do with his meeting
her. She wondered sorrowfully whether there
was anything about her and the little girl that
could make any one feel ashamed to know
them.
Innocent little Elize, she was very far from
the truth. A careful observer would never have
mistaken her and the winsome Pierrette for
persons belonging to the common populace,
especially now, when, with the coming of their
new prosperity, she had been able to afford
many little comforts, and a few of the luxuries
of dress that are so dear to the French woman’s
PIERRETTE. 87
heart. In her trim black gown and cape as she
appeared that morning, always carrying herself
with modest dignity, few would have guessed
what very humble people they really were, and
how they passed their simple lives under the
eaves of an old, old house in one of the poorest
streets of the city. But Monsieur Le Page
knew all this, knew how poor they had been;
and perhaps he did not care for them after all,
as she had thought he did by his great kind-
ness, but only for her work, because it would
bring a large sum.
Was it not Pere Michel who had told her, in
his blunt but good-natured way, that she and
Pierrette reminded him of a portrait of a great
lady and her little daughter which he had seen
hanging in the galleries of the Louvre during
one of his Sunday ramblings there! He had
stopped in front of it a long time, and called
upon his friend Francois to notice the resem-
blance. That young mother with the pretty
child’s arms thrown about her neck had the
same sweet Madonna-look he had seen on Elize
when he had chanced to surprise them with a
visit of an evening in their little garret. But
88 PIERRETTE.
now she could not recall Pere Michel’s words
with any comfort, although she had laughed a
pleased little laugh when he had said it a few
months ago. For Pére Michel was only a sim-
ple, untaught old man who had very little knowl-
edge or appreciation of social distinctions, and
whose opinion was only to be valued when it
came to judging of old silks and laces, and cer-
tain trinkets of which his trade consisted. She
could not expect any one else, any one who
had moved in, and knew the great world, to
look upon her otherwise than as a common
little oweriére of Paris with no claim on the
regard of those who were above her. For she
belonged, alas! to that army of patient souls
who must labor for their bread.
On their walk homeward, Elize was silent and
thoughtful. A shadow seemed to have come
over the brightness of the morning, and later in
the day, as she sat bending over her lace work,
Pierrette noticed that there were tears falling
from her pretty eyes.
* Dearest maman,†cried the child, running to
her and clasping her about the neck, ‘ what is it
that makes you cry? Are you not happy any
PIERRETTE. 89
more? What is it, tell’me. Are you thinking
of poor papa?â€
Elize drew the young head down on her
shoulder and kissed it many times.
‘“No, my Pierrette, 1 am thinking only of you,
thinking how I wish it were in my power to
make your life different.â€
“How do you mean different ?†asked the
little girl, wondering.
‘Perhaps I am a silly little mother, Pierrette,
but I should wish to see you happy and rich,
and admired by all the world.â€
“Oh, petite mere,†cried the child, with a
bright smile, and a little coaxing caress of her
mother’s cheek, “ if voz love me, that is enough,
I do not care for all the world; and if you will
only always be happy, and never cry, I shall
surely be so.â€
Pierrette’s thoughts did not wander so far into
the future as did her young mother’s. Her
little hopes and plans were all for the present;
and she had begun to think of late that the
present was becoming very kind to them.
How fortunate a thing it is that youth takes
no thought for the future, that the hopes and
90 PIERRETTE.
joys of to-day’s sunshine are unclouded by any
shadow that may come to-morrow! What were
the spring-time of youth worth, indeed, without
that glad hopefulness which sheds its warm
glow upon all the events and changes and even
the vicissitudes of our after life!
CHAPTER VII.
THE next day Pierrette could scarcely wait
until their little morning meal was over to has-
ten to the old house in the rue des Anges. She
had an errand at Pere Michel’s, —a very impor-
tant errand, in fact it was the purchasing of
her mother’s Christmas gift. She had eyed
wistfully, during her frequent visits to the little
shop, something in that wonderful chest in
which Pere Michel kept his treasures that
strongly appealed to her childish taste, but
which she had never dared hope to possess.
It was a tiny gold watch hardly larger than
a locket, with one or two small jewels set
in the case, and so much gold tracery on
its small face that it was quite impossible to
tell the time of day at a single glance. To
92 PIERRETTE.
be sure, the minute-hand was slightly broken,
but this was hardly a defect to one who was
well acquainted with it; and Pierrette admired
it above everything else in the old man’s
shop.
When the surprisingly large gold coin was
put into her hand by their benefactor, and
she was told by him to do as she liked with
-it, that little watch, lying on its old blue-
plush cushion, with the fine linked chain wound
all around it, was the first thing that came
into her mind. How surprised and delighted
the little mother would be when she opened
her bundle on Christmas morning to find a
beautiful watch with a tiny gold key hanging
from its long chain, which she could always
wear about her neck, as did the ladies whom
she had seen sometimes riding in the Bois!
Pierrette had no conception of the value of such
a trinket. She hoped to astonish Pere Michel
with the enormity of her wealth by showing
him the double-louis. She fancied that his eyes
would blink at sight of it, and that he would
place everything in his shop at her disposal;
for Pere Michel had a passion for gold, and
PIERRETTE. 93
liked nothing so well as the feeling of it between
his fingers.
There was a bit of work to be returned; Pere
Michel had not provided much of late. He com-
plained of the dullness of trade; and, secretly,
Elize was rather glad of it, for the work of her
new employer was so fine and exquisite, and
had to be so carefully wrought, that it took
the most of her time. And she had really lost
interest in the old tiresome mending. Yet she
could not have refused the old man’s work with-
out some explanation, and so she was rather
thankful on the whole that no explanation was
necessary.
She did not suspect that Pere Michel had
formed his own conclusions about her, — for he
was sharp, was Pére Michel, and had a way of
his own of finding everything out, — and that
he was now sending the work he had always
given her to other ovvriéres, much to his own
vexation, be it said, since he learned the cause
of her new prosperity. He did not care a fig,
he said to himself; she was a silly little creature
who knew nothing of the world, and would find
herself well pinched some of these fine days.
94 PIERRETTE.
He was disappointed in her, that was all; he
had always thought her a little woman of prin-
ciple, but she preferred working for that genteel
rascal. Ah, well, women were all alike! and he
made a wry face and prophesied that she would
be glad enough to come back to him sometime,
for they always did. But then, that was only
Pere Michel’s way of talking.
That morning the little mother was not in-
clined to leave the house; she had spent a
sleepless night, and she did not wish to see or
talk with any one.
“You will hasten there and return quickly,
my Pierrette,†she said, as she placed the mended
laces in the little girl’s hand.
“Yes, petite mere,†said Pierrette, very glad
of the opportunity of going alone to Pére
Michel’s in order to transact more freely her
business with him.
The little mother kissed her on both cheeks,
and wondered as she did so at the child’s eager
look and the joyous excitement twinkling in her
bright eyes. She wondered too if there was
anywhere inall this great city of Paris a lovelier
child than Pierrette. She watched her down
PIERRETTE. 95
the long flight of stairs, and then she went back
to her little window and looked out of it into the
street below until the little red hood had disap-
peared around the corner,
Dear, fond little mother! what was it that
made her tender heart overflow that morning,
as she watched the little girl out of her sight?
Was it a foreboding of something that was in
store for her, of a parting that was near at hand?
She sat with her head buried in her hands fora
long time, whispering to herself, without knowing
why, “ Heaven bless her! â€
But presently a knock at the door roused her
from her meditation ; and she rose to receive
her visitor.
Meanwhile little Pierrette was hastening to the
rue des Anges. When she reached the old
man’s door she found Pére Michel in the act of
preparing his noon-day meal, and Joy-of-My-
Heart in his favorite attitude upon his back.
“Ah, little Red-Riding-Hood,†croaked the
old fellow, as he opened the door with one
hand, and with the other flourished a long-
handled spoon with which he had been stirring
some batter, so that everything in the vicinity
96 PIERRETTE.
caught a mild spatter of yellow dough. “You
must have scented my good créfes in the air,
little witch, eh?â€
Pierrette looked around her for a minute,
quite out of breath with having walked so fast
and with the prospect of approaching Pére
Michel on the delicate subject of the watch.
“T did not know it was so late; maman and
IT have had breakfast but a short time ago,†said
the child, in some surprise. “I have brought
back the work; maman could not come herself,
she has the migraine.’
“Humph, the m7graine, indeed! quite like a
fine lady,’ murmured old Michel, stirring his
batter vigorously.
“Tf T shall disturb you by staying, I can
leave the work now and come again at some
other time to speak to you — about something ;
but— but I wanted to do it this morning, very
much; when maman was not here,†she added,
with some hesitation.
“Now that you are here, you may stay,†said
Michel, good-humoredly. “It is not late, it is
hardly ten o’clock; but Joy-of-My-Heart and I
are bound by no rules, are we my beauty? We
“There is something I have wanted to ask you about for a
long time.â€
PIERRETTE. 99
cook our a&jeuncr-d-la-fourchette when we please,
and we eat when we are hungry. Have we not
the right?â€
Pierrette could not dispute that fact, especially
as Joy-of-My-Heart was just then going through
a series of most foolish contortions to empha-
size his master’s words. “Then I may wait till
you have finished?†ventured she, much re-
lieved; “there is something I have wanted to
ask you about; it is a surprise for maman, and
it is a secret also; she is not to know about it
until Christmas day.â€
“You need not wait until I have finished to
ask me. We do not eat our crépes with our
ears, My-Joy and I,†said the old man, face-
tiously. “ Sit down, sit down, and tell me your
secret ; if it is a good one, I will keep it.â€
Pierrette laughed, and drew a little three-
legged stool near the big logs that were blazing
between two huge fire-dogs over which Pére
Michel’s frying-pan was sizzling merrily.
“Some one, a very kind gentleman who has
been very good to maman and me— I may not
tell you his name, I have been forbidden to do
that —has made me a present of a great deal
100 PIERRETTE.
of money!†and she opened her small palm
and showed the round coin, at which Pere
Michel’s little round eyes made a pretence of
staring quite wildly, although the little explana-
tion about the kind friend was unnecessary ; he
knew him very well. ‘“ He said I should buy
something for myself and maman with it; and
what do you suppose I have thought of for her?
You cannot guess,†she added, leaning forward
to look at the old man, and speaking in a
confidential undertone.
Pére Michel was just then in the act of send-
ing a large batter-cake flying up in the air and
landing it safely back, right side up, in the fry-
ing-pan, according to the most approved French
fashion, and this he did with much grace and
dexterity.
‘“No, I can’t guess,†he said, when he had
accomplished the feat. ‘ What, for instance?â€
Pierrette screwed up her rosy mouth, and
her round eyes shone with suppressed secrecy.
“You will not laugh at me, Monsieur Michel, nor
say that I am trying to play /a grande dante, as
you sometimes do when I admire your pretty
things?â€
PIERRETTE. IOI
“ Saperlotte/ you are making conditions,
Ma’mzelle Pierrette; do I ever laugh at my
customers when I know they want to buy in
good earnest?’ said Pere Michel, with a feint of
excusing himself. ‘If it’s anything I have that
you want to buy, then out with it, and we shall
see how good a bargain we can make together.
It is not the old red-velvet jacket trimmed with
gilt braid that you are dreaming of giving your
poor little mother? She is much too quiet and
too sensible to want such rubbish as that.â€
“No, it is not the red-velvet cloak,†replied
Pierrette, eying that fetching article of apparel
with much reverence as it hung from its hook
in the tall glass case against the wall, and won-
dering why Monsieur Michel spoke in such a
contemptuous way of it.
“Perhaps it is the amethyst ear-rings,†sug-
gested the old man; “but they are much too
long and too heavy for her pretty ears; they
would make her look like a Hottentot, besides
they are all out of fashion.â€
“Tt is not the ear-rings, either,†said Pierrette.
“Listen! I will tell you,†and she came closer
still to the old man, who was now rolling up his
102 PIERRETTE.
batter-cake between his thumbs and forefingers,
and preparing to convey it to his longing
palate. “It is not any of those things; it is
something useful, something that maman needs
and has wanted for a long time, only I never
thought we should ever be rich enough to buy
one. It is the little watch, the smallest one
with the jewels, in the blue case,†concluded the
child, quite out of breath with her disclosure,
Pére Michel stood with the cake uplifted in
his fingers, his mouth wide open, his eyes pop-
ping out of his head, as dumb as if he had
been struck by lightning. Pierrette was puz-
zled. She wanted to laugh; he did look so
droll with that look of astonishment on his face,
and his red night-cap rakishly askew on the
back of his bald -head.
At length he burst out into an exclamation of
surprise. ‘ Great thunder-r-r-r-rs,’ he roared,
rolling his eyes so dreadfully that Joy-of-My-
Heart gave a sudden leap and upset the frying-
pan. ‘Great thunders and blue lightnings!â€
was all he could say for several minutes.
When at last he recovered from his tremen- .
dous astonishment, Pierrette looked up at him
PIERRETTE. 103
archly, and ventured to ask, “Don’t you care
to sell it?â€
Old Michel threw back his head and laughed,
much to Pierrette’s relief. She thought he
might be going to have a fit of apoplexy.
“Perhaps you don’t know, Ma’mzelle Pierrette,
what it is that you want, —a gem, an antique, a
precious piece of bric-a-brac, as well as a most
remarkable time-keeper, having begun its tick-
ing way back in the last century; worth three
or four times the gold-piece you have in your
hand!†and he brought down his long spoon
with an emphatic thump.
Pierrette’s expression became quite doleful as
she sat looking at her gold treasure which had
seemed so enormous to her and capable of pur-
chasing almost anything in Paris. ‘So you
don't think this is enough?†she asked, not
willing to give up the idea altogether. ‘“ That
is a great pity. I thought it would be. It
seemed a great deal to me; and I hoped
there would be enough left after paying for
the watch to get some things for little Francois
and Jeanneton and the chiffonnier,â€â€™ and she
uttered a little sigh and let her hands fall in
104 PIERRETTE.
her lap in a way that was very expressive
of her disappointment.
Pére Michel was not so hard-hearted an old
creature as he looked, or so much of a miser as
most people thought him to be. He was quite
touched with the little girl’s desire to please her
mother. But, of course, he did not show his
emotion; that was too unbusiness-like. He
only stirred the remainder of his batter more
energetically, and said, ‘‘ Well, well, wait a few
days; I will see what I can do. There are three
weeks yet before Christmas. I will think about
it. Come in again in a day or two, and I will
tell you then whether I can let you have the
watch for your money.â€
“Oh, thank. you many times, Monsieur
Michel, you are very good,†she said, casting a
longing glance at the old chest containing the
coveted treasure.
Then she rose to go, and gathered the strings
of her little hood together.
“ No, there is no other work this morning,â€
said Pére Michel, as he saw her hesitating
before unlatching the door.
She hurried home, for she had stayed much
PIERRETTE, 105
longer than she expected, and maman might be
anxious and wonder at her delay. But the
little mother had scarcely taken any account of
the time since Pierrette had left. Something
very strange had happened while she was gone,
— something that made the young woman feel
quite bewildered. When Pierrette opened the
door, she found a visitor in the room, and
maman’s face looked troubled, and her eyes
looked as if she had been crying. Yet she was
thanking him and trying to smile even through
her tears.
SF
CHAPTER: ViIT
THE knock at the door which had roused
Elize some moments before had come from
Monsieur Le Page. The little mother was
surprised to see him, for it was but two days
since he had been to pay her for the month’s
work, and had given the gold coin to Pierrette.
After what had taken place in front of the
church yesterday, she hardly knew how to greet
him. Perhaps something had happened to
make him displeased with her; a confusion of
doubts swarmed in her timid breast, and a
fearful dread came over her that he was come,
somehow, to rob her of some of her happiness.
She met him tremblingly; her fear lasted but a
moment, for Monsieur Le Page smiled at her
kindly, and gave her his hand in such a friendly
PIERRETTE. 107
way, that she felt re-assured. He sat down and
began talking upon various subjects which had
nothing to do with his usual business. He did
not even mention the lace or ask to see it.
He inquired after Pierrette, and talked of hera
great deal; and the little mother glowed with
pride at his praise of her, and began to reproach
herself inwardly for having supposed that this
kind gentleman who had so befriended them,
and shown such a great interest in them, should
have been ashamed to recognize them that
morning in front of the church. She had been
very foolish and wrong to think it of him. He
was such a busy man, and his mind was so pre-
occupied with great interests which they could
not even try to understand, that it was very
possible he might have looked straight at them
and yet not seen them. It was very comforting
to the little mother to think that she had been
mistaken, and that the handsome gentleman
whom she and Pierrette had learned to honor
because of his goodness, was no less kind and
generous than they had thought him.
To a sensitive young thing like Elize, a kind
look from any fellow-creature was far more
108 PIERRETTE.
precious than a more liberal reward of money.
She could not live without the latter, truly
enough; but she could have been happier
without money than without kindness and gen-
tleness and love. Monsieur Le Page had
treated them always with the utmost considera-
tion, more as if he were their guardian and
friend than their task-master. How different
he was from old Michel, thought little Elize!
Before Pere Michel she was always timid and
humbled; with Monsieur Le Page she felt like
areal lady. For he had the faculty of raising
her to his level, and never letting her know that
he was their superior; but perhaps that was
because he was such a true gentleman.
While these simple thoughts were passing
through Elize’s mind, Monsieur Le Page was
growing confidential and talking more about
himself than she had ever known him to do
before. It had often puzzled him, he said, to
know what he should do with all his wealth.
He was alone in the world, and he had worked
for himself alone; and after all that brought
but little satisfaction. He had not thought that
he should ever take any special interest in any
PIERRETTE. 109
of his fellow-creatures, enough so to wish to help
them and better their condition. Yet, since he
had known her and Pierrette, that wish had
seized upon him, and had grown stronger, until
now he felt that he could not be happy unless
she allowed him to show his interest for them in
some substantial way.
Elize was puzzled; she could not quite under-
stand him. ‘ Monsieur has been so kind to us,â€
she said, with sweet gratitude glistening in her
eyes; ‘we have already too much to thank you
for, Pierrette and I.â€
‘“Not so,†interposed Monsieur Le Page, “ it
is I who shall have cause to thank you if you
will look favorably upon the proposition I wish
to make in regard to the little girl.â€
“ Anything that you may propose, Monsieur,
is sure to be wise and best; you know that you
have my favor in advance.â€
““T have grown fond of Pierrette; one could
hardly see the child and not become so. Her
beauty is too rare to be hidden away in this
obscure quarter of Paris. Her mind too bright
not to be disciplined; her nature too gentle to
be allowed to battle with the hardships of
IIo PIERRETTE.
poverty. It has grown to be a strong desire
with me to give her the advantages that wealth
can procure, and make her happy in all that the
world deems happiness, and to see how far the
power of riches can go to achieve this end. It
is an interesting study to watch the growth and
expansion of natural gifts by means of proper
conditions and congenial atmosphere. I should
like to see this child blossom into the perfection
of womanhood, rise from her lowly surroundings
here to the highest position in the social world,
and to feel that I had been the means of ac-
complishing this transformation.â€
Monsieur Le Page’s generous offer was per-
haps not unmixed with a little selfish pride.
He was proud indeed of his great wealth,
proud of his having achieved it alone, proud of
the power it gave him to obtain, as he firmly
believed, all things in this world.
The little mother had tried to follow him.
What he had said was such a sudden and com-
plete realization of all the vague, unspoken
hopes she had so long cherished for little
Pierrette, that it seemed to her as if she must
be dreaming. She did not quite comprehend
PIERRETTE. III
all that he wished to do for the child. Her
ideas of worldly advancement were very small.
She was such a simple, artless little woman, and
knew so little of the life of the so-called great
people of a big city. She pressed her fingers
against her white temple, and her breath came
fast. It was very hard to grasp and understand
this burst of fortune that came upon her and
almost overwhelmed her by its suddenness.
“But how may this be, Monsieur?†she
asked; “must not one be born to such position
as you speak of? My little child and I are
very humble. How is it possible that she could
ever become a lady?â€
“With money, Madame, it is possible to
accomplish everything. Money is a very potent
thing; it can buy homage, rank, and the plaudits
of the great world. With it a man is powerful
for good or evil alike; without it, one is help-
less in spite of great talents, ambition, and even
genius,†and Monsieur Le Page pressed the gold
knob of his cane tightly against his lips, as if to
emphasize the force of his conviction.
Poor little Elize could, in a small measure,
appreciate the value of these words. She had
II2 PIERRETTE,
never had the means of judging of the full
power of money; but she knew too well the
hardships and privations that come from the
lack of it. She had looked upon this quiet
gentleman as the embodiment of that very
power of which he spoke. She was convinced
that he could do anything, accomplish every-
thing, with his wealth. Moreover, she admired
and respected him; and it was easy to believe
his words, even though she could not quite
compass their meaning.
How was all this that he wished for Pierrette
to be accomplished? Monsieur Le Page ex-
plained it in a few brief words. He would
make her the heir of his fortune; and, in order
to fit her for so exalted a sphere, she must first
be taken from her lowly surroundings, and
placed in the care of those who would teach
her and train her in the ways that become a fine
lady. She must have a governess, and masters
in all the arts, and live at Monsieur Le Page’s
magnificent house, where she should early be
brought under the refining influence of luxury,
and that she might learn to care for him asa
daughter.
PIERRETTE. 113
The little mother’s heart stood still. Would
she have to be separated from Pierrette? Would
Pierrette be taken from her, so that they would
never see each other?
Hardly that, Monsieur Le Page thought. Yet
a separation was inevitable. If he made Pier-
rette his heir, she must become his charge, and
be entirely under his control; she must look to
him for everything. The young mother would
be handsomely provided for. She had spoken
of a home at Meudon, one should be bought
for her there; and the little girl should be
allowed to see her from time to time, and they
should not be unhappy. Everything would be
done for the child’s comfort and pleasure. But,
of course, it would be impossible for Elize to
remain in the same house with her.
Poor little mother! how strangely had her
hopes and longings for Pierrette shaped them-
selves for her own misery; how could she give
up her little child into the hands of strangers,
and stand aside and see the only joy of her life
going from her, for the delight of others? Mon-
sieur Le Page had been kind to them; his wish
to take the little girl and do for her as for a
8
114 PIERRETTE.
daughter was only another proof of his generos-
ity; and yet, what a price was this to pay for
her gratitude! She could make no answer
now; her lips trembled and her voice was
choked. She could not refuse him what he
asked. There was but one choice between such
a life as she and Pierrette were living, and the
one he offered them; but her mother-heart was
‘wrung at the very thought of choosing.
Monsieur Le Page saw the look of anguish
that came into her eyes, and he could not under-
stand it. He had never known such a love as
the one that filled the gentle mother’s heart.
That she should hesitate to accept such an offer
as he had just made to her, on account of any
personal regret, had not entered into his calcu-
lations.
“ Monsieur must not think me ungrateful,â€
said the little woman, at length, “or believe that
I do not fully appreciate the honor he does my
little child. I wish to do all that is best for
Pierrette, without considering myself; but I
must ask Monsieur to let me think about it a
while alone. I shall be prepared to give Mon-
sieur his answer in a few days.â€
“T know, I know, Monsieur, and I thank you in my heart
PIERRETTE. 1T7
“ Certainly; in a week, or even two. There
need be no haste,’ assented the gentleman.
“Tt is a serious matter for you, I understand.
You may take your own time for decision. But
rest assured that the little girl will receive the
best of care, and that everything shall be done
with a view to her happiness.â€
“T know, I know, Monsieur, and I thank you
in my heart,†and she looked up at him with her
soft gray eyes from which two large tears over-
flowed.
It was then that little Pierrette entered, and
immediately the young mother’s arms were
around her, and she was holding the pretty
head on her bosom. No, they could not be
going to part from each other; it could not be!
She must have been dreaming. Every other
thought fled from her, save that her little one
was here again, nestling close to her, and the
joy of their old life, simple and humble as it had
been, presented itself to her with such force
that parting seemed a thing impossible.
CHAPTER IX.
ALL the rest of that day Elize went about
with a leaden weight in her heart. The sun-
light looked cold; the song of the yellow canary
had a dismal note to it; the new buds that had
blossomed in the night in her window bore a
sickening fragrance; and all the little pleasures
that had given their simple home a charm and
grace seemed now, as she looked upon them,
to cause her pain instead of delight. They were
all associated with the child. What would they
all mean if she were taken away! Where was
the use of living if the one thing that had
made life sweet was denied her! Oh, it was
cruel, cruel ! — and yet she had wished it all, so
blindly, so foolishly, never suspecting that she
PIERRETTE. 119
would have to make a sacrifice of her love in
payment for her ambition.
She could not meet Pierrette’s inquiring eyes ;
she had not the heart to tell her yet. She must
reason with herself, and gain courage to do what
was best. Then she would break the news to
the little girl cheerfully, that she might not
look upon it as a hardship, but only as the ful-
fillment of their brightest dreams. It had never
once occurred to the young mother that she
could refuse her patron’s generous offer. She
knew that she must submit. Would it not be
selfish of her to stand in the way of Pierrette’s
life-happiness and prosperity because of her
own foolish feelings? Had she not been taught
that to give up what we prize the most for the
good of those we love, is the truest way of
showing them our devotion! Besides, she had
been forced by circumstances to give up much
that was dear to her. But making a sacrifice
because we are compelled to it by circumstances,
and making one of our own free-will, are two
very different things; and it is the last that is
the true test of our nobler self.
So the little mother gathered up her courage
120 PIERRETTE.
through the whole of that long day, and gave
herself a score of reasons why it was best that
Pierrette should go; how much happier the
child would be for it, and that she herself, in
time, might become accustomed to the separa-
tion, and would find some little comfort, per-
haps, in the birds and the flowers, her old
friends at Meudon. And Pierrette would come
to her now and then, for she should not be very
far off, and they would spend a day together;
and the joy of those moments would keep her
happy for many days after. And when the
little girl grew up to womanhood, fair, beauti-
ful, and accomplished, and understood what she
had given up for her sake, Pierrette would bless
her for it and love her the more. Yes, she was
sure that her little Pierrette would never forget
her quite, that she would always remember and
cherish her “ petite mére,†no matter how grand
and splendid a lady they made of her.
That night Elize told the little girl what had
been the purport of Monsieur Le Page's visit.
In simple terms, she made Pierrette understand
what he wished to do for her: how he would
give her a beautiful home, and everything that
PIERRETTE. I2I
could make her life happy ; how he would have
her taught many wise things, and make a lady
of her; and how, when she was old enough, she
would have the means to do great good. She
dwelt on their patron’s unspeakable kindness in
placing such fair fortunes within her reach ; for
she wished the child to love him, and look upon
him as her greatest benefactor, without any
jealous fears for herself.
“Will you not like to go and live with the kind
Monsieur in his beautiful house, Pierrette? and.
drive behind splendid horses, and become a very
rich lady some day?†she asked, with a smile,
as the child listened with wondering eyes to the
strange revelations that were made to her.
“Without you, petite mere? How can that
bees
‘Oh, I shall not be very far away, my Pier-
rette, and we shall see each other often. And
there will be a kind lady who will take care of
you and teach you many wise and useful things,
which I cannot do. And Monsieur Le Page,
you will care for him very much, because he
will give you so much that will make you
happy.
â€
122 PIERRETTE.
“ And will it make you happy, petite mere?â€
asked the child, a little doubtfully, seeing that
the young mother’s eyes were moist even while
her lips were smiling.
“Tt would be very ungrateful of me to be
otherwise,†she answered.
“ And when Iam grown, and may have every-
thing I want, can I not have you with me
always?â€
‘Perhaps, perhaps, my Pierrette, but that
time is many years hence. You are still a very
little girl, and until then we must do as Mon-
sieur thinks best. You will not find it hard to
do his wishes. He is so kind and cares much
for you, and you love him too, do you not,
Pierrette? â€
“Oh, yes, better than any one else, excepting
you, petite mere.â€
The little mother felt grateful that Pierrette
had learned to care for and admire the good
gentleman. It would have been so much harder
if he had not first won the child’s confidence
and affection, and drawn her heart to him by
the many little kindnesses and attentions which
children love to receive from their elders.
“As if all the airy sprites she had heard of in the old fairy-
book were dancing by her in gay procession.â€
PIERRETTE. 125
Pierrette was too young to understand fully
the change this would make in her life, and how,
in spite of the tender love they bore each other,
she and her young mother must surely grow
apart, by reason of the very difference in their
lives; how time and change and new interests
are the most powerful agents to make the young
forget their earlier and more humble blessings.
Therefore she was not heart-sick, nor felt any
forebodings in the midst of her strange good
fortune, as did the young mother. That night
she dreamed that she slept on beds of roses, and
the world about her was bright, fresh, and green
as the country is at Meudon in the spring-time,
and the air filled with the loveliest bird-notes,
and the sound of trickling waters. And it
seemed as if all the airy sprites she had heard
of in the old fairy-book were dancing by her
in gay procession, and each one stooped to kiss
her as she passed, and left a blessing on her
lips. A strange dream it was for a little girl
to have, sleeping on a narrow cot in an old
garret, in that little room, all darkened save
for the glow of the dying embers in the great
chimney hollow, and the pale beams of a cold,
126 PIERRETTE.
cold moon that came in through the small
window.
Elize sat beside the little bed, holding one
baby-hand in hers, and placing those fairy kisses
of her dreams on the lips of the sleeping child.
There was no sleep for her that night. She
could only look at her darling, and pray Heaven
to give her the strength she so much needed.
For she had now made up her mind to the part-
ing. She herself could do so little for the child,
she must be willing and glad to let others do for
her what she could not. She had hoped and even
prayed that Pierrette’s life might be different
from that of the other poor children she knew.
Was not this the fulfillment of her wish! To
grieve for her own loss, to cast a shadow on
Pierrette’s good fortune by any regrets of her
own, would make the little girl unhappy, and
she would be lacking herself in courage. That
little mother, though young and sensitive, and
frail of body, was very strong and brave in her
love.
She sat silent and alone through the long
hours of the night, trying to prepare herself for
the separation that was to come, and wondering
PIERRETTE, 127
how it would seem when Pierrette was no longer
with her, and if all her days would be as lonely
and cheerless as that still night. The old bell
from the tower of St. Sulpice tolled out the
midnight hour over the sleeping city. Its rich,
mellow tones seemed to carry a nameless com-
fort to her stricken soul. It seemed like a voice
from Heaven speaking to her, and bidding her
be of good cheer. She rose and went to the
window, and looked out upon the night. Here
and there, in the neighboring houses, a light
went out from one of the windows, —some
weary worker, perhaps, whose daily task was just
done, — and at length all around grew still, and
she and the white moon were left to keep their
vigil alone.
CHAPTER xe
Now that the little mother had quite made
up her mind to give up her treasure, she became
anxious that Monsieur Le Page should come
soon to get her answer; and now that the
struggle was over, and she had won the battle
over her foolish heart, she was eager that
Pierrette should enter as early as might be
upon her new dignities. She felt that every
day spent in the little garret-room was one day
robbed her of her good fortune. Pierrette had
many things:to learn, she said, before Monsieur
came to take her away, and she wished to pre-
pare her as well as she could for becoming
a lady.
But Pierrette was already a little lady; she
was that by nature, and her gentle mother’s
PIERRETTE. {29
teaching. She had never heard or known a
harsh word in her life; love and kindness had
been their teacher and their guide; and there
are no more refining influences anywhere than
these two gentle virtues. In spite of the lowli-
ness of her surroundings, the little girl possessed
that inborn grace and charm of manner which
no amount of education can secure. It was
this, together with her childish trust and fond-
ness for him, that had won the rich gentleman’s
interest, and had given him the desire to raise
her to a position which he felt sure she would
adorn. The little mother had not been able to
teach Pierrette much of what the world calls
wisdom; but she had imbued her childish nature
with a love for truth and goodness, and that in
itself is a talisman for Winning all hearts.
They spent many hours talking of the new
life that was in store for her, and trying to im-
agine how it would be, and building airy castles
for a distant future. One day they had gone so
far as to ride out to the avenue of the Bois de
Boulogne, a long distance for them to go from
their home; for they hardly ever crossed the
bridges of the Seine, and had scarcely any
9
130 PIERRETTE.
knowledge of that other side of Paris, with its
handsome buildings and broad avenues and
brilliant parks. When they reached the great
Arch of Triumph, they descended from the
omnibus and walked down the shady avenue,
past the splendid homes of the rich, and among
them that of Monsieur Le Page.
It was a veritable little chateau, built of gray
stone with innumerable little turrets that now
were mantled with a fresh fall of snow. The
red glow of the setting sun fell full upon its
windows, and it seemed to be enveloped in a
blaze of glory.
“Look, look, Pierrette, how beautiful it is!â€
‘whispered the little mother, as, passing the great
iron gate that led into its garden, they caught
glimpses of its splendor through the half-cur-
tained windows. Rare and beautiful flowers
rearing their graceful heads to the light, white
marble statues and rich draperies, such sump-
tuousness as Pierrette and her little mother had
never dreamed of.
“To think that this shall be your home, Pier-
rette, —all yours some day!—and that some
time I may come walking by as we are doing
avenue.â€
ady
“They walked down the sh
PIERRETTE. 133
to-day, and shall see your face looking from one
of those great windows and smiling down at me.
Oh, does it not seem strange that such fortune
should come to you and me; I cannot make it
seem true!â€
Pierrette pressed her mother’s hand. “Oh,
petite mere, if you were only to be here too!â€
she said, wistfully; “it will be very strange for
me to be living in this great house, and you in
the little cottage at Meudon. I wonder why it
must be so!â€
‘“ Monsieur wishes it, my Pierrette ; and there
are reasons why it is best.†And Pierrette did
not doubt this.
They hastened on, hardly daring to look back
at the beautiful home that was of so great in-
terest to them both lest any one should sce
them and wonder at their boldness. When
they returned to their little garret that night, it
seemed as if they had been off on a long
journey. They were so full of what they had
seen that they could talk of nothing else.
In the evening, when Pierrette went to take
old Jeanneton her dish of soup, she could not
refrain from mentioning her adventures. ‘You
134 PIERRETTE.
cannot think where petite mére and I have
been to-day, Jeanneton. We have been to see
a gentleman’s palace, a long way beyond the
Seine. Oh, it is such a beautiful place! and
you would never believe it, Jeanneton, but I am
going there to live very soon, and I shall be
very rich, maman says, and I shall send you
your soup every day and a fowl on Sunday, and
plenty of wood to keep you warm in winter.â€
“ What’s all that rubbish!†grumbled the old
dame, holding out her hand for the dish; “ who
talks of being rich in ¢4#zs neighborhood, I
should like to know! I have lived in it sixty
years, and have never seen anything but misery.
Don’t talk to me of palaces! This is a rat-
trap, I tell you, and we are all caught in it to
starve.â€
‘“Oh, but, Jeanneton, there is a dear, good
Monsieur who has been giving maman some
lovely lace work to do, and paying her a great
deal of money for it, and who makes me beauti-
ful gifts. It is he who is rich, and is going to
take me to live with him.â€
“JT don’t know anything about your fine
Monsieur,†persisted the old woman, with much
PIERRETTE. 135
ill-nature. “The only Monsieur I ever see is
that miserly concierge who comes up every
month to plague me for the rent, when I
have n't a sou to give him. They are all alike,
your Messieurs, a rascally lot, who lke nothing
better than to cheat the poor.â€
Pierrette knew that Jeanneton would be in a
more amiable mood when she had swallowed
her hot broth; but she could not help laughing
at the thought of Jeanneton’s comparing Mon-
sieur Le Page to the old conczerge downstairs.
If she could only see him once, with his hand-
some features and long curling mustache, and
the kindly smile with which he always greeted
her when he came, and the elegant gold-top
cane he carried, and the curious eye-glass
through which he looked at her, she felt sure
that Jeanneton, even old, grumbling, ill-natured
Jeanneton, could not but think him a most
delightful gentleman.
It was now nearly two weeks since Monsieur
Le Page had been to see Elize, and the wonder-
ful piece of lace had been finished for some
days, and she awaited his return with impatience.
As the days followed one another and he did
136 PIERRETTE.
not come, she grew restless and uneasy. She
felt that she must talk to some one about the
thing that weighed most on her heart.
That evening, after Pierrette had gone to
sleep, Elize put on her bonnet and cape, and
made her way noiselessly down the dingy stairs
out into the frosty night. She was going to
Pére Michel’s. He was not one whom she
would ordinarily have sought for confidence;
he was not a very sympathetic listener. But
she must tell somebody, and she really knew
him better than any one of her neighbors,
and something seemed to lead her to him
that night. He was fond of Pierrette, in his
way, and she needed advice about her. There
would be no need of mentioning the name of
Monsieur Le Page, or speaking of the work she
had done for him. She would simply say that
it was a rich gentleman who had been very
kind to them, and who had offered to take
Pierrette and bring her up like a lady, and
she had made up her mind to let him have
the child.
The little mother walked rapidly through the
idle crowd in the rue des Anges, for, it being
PIERRETTE. 137
the week before the Christmas feast, every
one was out inspecting the brilliant little shops,
and making what purchases their small means
would allow. But Elize was not in touch
with that merry, laughing multitude to-night.
She scarcely heard the confused clatter of the
women’s voices and the boisterous shouting
of the men and the shrill laughter of boys
and girls. As she hurried past them, she was
preparing her little speech to Pére Michel,
feeling, perhaps, a little frightened at her own
boldness.
When she entered the shop, she found the
old man seated in his armchair before the fire,
roasting chestnuts for the enjoyment of himself
and his dog. There was no light in the room
but the fitful flame that rose and fell from the
burning wood in the chimney. For, as Pére
Michel said, with a true sense of French econ-
omy, “ Joy-of-My-Heart and I can see each
other very well by the light of the fire, and
where is the use of burning tallow, when we
know the way to our mouths!â€
He did not appear in the least surprised to
see Elize at that hour of the night; somehow
138 PIERRETTE.
it seemed as if he had been expecting her, and
knew beforehand the purpose of her visit. His
manner was kinder than usual. He bade her
take a seat; and, before she was aware of it, and
without a single question from him, she had
told him her story, and how her poor heart was
breaking at the thought of being parted from
her little girl, and yet that there was no other
choice for her; that it was Pierrette’s own good
and not hers that she must consider; and that
she had come to him that he might help to
convince her that she was doing right. For
with each day that passed she felt herself grow-
ing weaker in her brave resolution, and needed
the help of some friend.
It might have seemed odd to a third person,
if there had been one in Pere Michel's shop, to
hear the timid litthke woman pouring out her
feelings to that crusty old man, wholly forgetful
of her old fears, — indeed, of everything except
that she was in great need of human sympathy.
Pere Michel had not uttered a single word, or
shown any signs of impatience during her short
narrative; but he had watched the little mother
very attentively, and had seemed to take more
PIERRETTE. 139
than ordinary interest in what she told him.
He had not once interrupted her to dispute with
Joy-of-My-Heart, who lay at the old man’s feet
and followed his example by listening in
respectful silence.
CHAPTER XI.
“ An, ah, well, it is good you came to me for
advice,†said Pére Michel, leaning forward to stir
up the burned sticks, when Elize had finished
speaking. “I should have said nothing, if
you had not come here of your own will. It
is no business of mine, and I am not one to
pry into other people’s affairs; but, since you
want advice, I will tell you the truth. You
would better know it now than later. Your fine
gentleman, — I know who he is, I have known
him a long time,-—— with all his kindness and fine
offers, is a rascal, a polite, elegant rascal, but a
rascal all the same, and the less you have to
deal with him, the better.â€
PIERRETTE. 141
Elize gave a start. Pére Michel spoke too
seriously for her to mistake his words as only in
jest.
“ Monsieur Michel, what do you mean?†she
asked, in a frightened voice. ‘I cannot hear
you speak so of Monsieur Le Page. What do
you know of him that is not worthy?â€
“A great deal too much, my dear young
woman, —a great deal more than you would
approve if you knew. If I am a good judge
of people, and I flatter myself that I have not
lived all these years without becoming such, I
take it that you are not a woman to profit by
fraud and deceit. The rich can sometimes do it
with safety ; but we poor wretches cannot afford
to be anything but honest. Yet I am not sorry
that it is so, for the bread of honesty is sweet,
even if it is eaten in a miserable little second-
hand finery-shop, and with only a dog for com-
pany.â€
Poor Elize was stupefied. ‘I cannot under-
stand you, Monsieur Michel. Pray, what is it?
Oh, tell me what it is you know about Monsieur
Le Page! though I am sure I can never believe
any wrong of him,†she added, unwilling to be
142 PIERRETTE.
convinced, and yet feeling that she must know
what it was that Pére Michel accused him of, if
only that she might defend him.
The old tradesman moved impatiently in his
chair and faced Elize suddenly. ‘‘ Look at me!â€
he said sharply. ‘‘ Do I go about spinning tales
about my neighbors? Does A. Michel take the
trouble to invent lies for his amusement? Iam
a man.of few words. I tell you that what I
know of your Sieur Le Page is true. I had it
from his own lips. He would have had me to
help him in his fraud, and paid me well for it.
But I knew him for an old rascal, old at the art
of lying and deceiving, I mean, and he got no
assistance from me. Then he finds you out,
Heaven only knows how, and plays the benefac-
tor to you, poor little fool! and pays you a
thousand francs for making a piece of lace
which he is going to sell for ten times that
much to some silly woman who is crazy after
old laces, and is ready to pay a fortune for them.
With a little saffron dye, skillfully used, he will
make it look for all the world like a genuine an-
tique piece, and pass it off asa century or so old,
and as having belonged to some celebrated
PIERRETTE, 143
queen or duchess. Those are his tricks. That
is how he coins his money. He does not do it
very often ; it would kill his trade if he did. But
once in a while he makes a little fortune on a
deal like this, and no one is the wiser; for he
knows that I cannot hurt him, even though 7
know how he dupes them all, for he deals with
the rich, and I withthe poor. But I would take
none of his money; ill-gotten gain never brings
any good with it, and one might better live in
poverty all one’s days than soil his conscience
with it.â€
Pere Michel drew a large red handkerchief
from his pocket, and mopped his face, which had
grown very warm during this long speech, the
like of which he had not made for many days.
Then he blew his nose very loud, several times,
for he had taken a pinch of his favorite snuff
after each sentence. ‘You have heard me,â€
he concluded, holding out his hand before the
fire, “and now you are free to do as you choose.
I have done my duty,†and he waved the subject
away, feeling that he had acquitted himself
rather creditably, on the whole, of some very
grave and disagreeable business.
144 PIERRETTE.
He had not seen the poor little mother’s face
while he made his grave disclosures to her. The
flames had fallen very low; but now they flick-
ered once or twice, enough to send a faint yel-
low light about the room, and _ he could see that
she was very pale and that her lips trembled
and her eyes had a look of dismay in them that
smote him.
It had all come upon her so like a revelation.
She felt the terrible pang of seeing a fair idol
fallen down and shivered at her feet. One
whom she had looked to for every virtue, —
courtesy, gentleness, integrity, —whom she had
learned to admire and trust more than any one
else she knew — he was capable of a base decep-
tion; he would stoop to a dishonest transaction
for the sake of mere gain; and he had come to
her to help him; and she had received his money
and his benefits, and had been on the eve of
giving up to him her dearest treasure, her little
Pierrette! Ah, it was a bitter moment for the
little woman, — bitter, because it is always a sor-
rowful thing to find we have been deceived in
those we loved best, to learn that their seem-
ing kindness was, perhaps, but a cover to hide
PIERRETTE. 145
their own selfish and unworthy ends. She
was bewildered; her thoughts could find no ex-
pression. Her little hands were clasped tightly,
and she gazed vacantly from the fire to Pere
Michel and from Pere Michel to the fire.
“ You are sure, Monsieur Michel, very sure
that all this is true?†she said, for she somehow
clung to the belief that there must be some fatal
misunderstanding somewhere, or that she had
not heard the old man aright.
“T have said it once,’ returned he, tartly,
“that is enough; you may believe or not as you
choose. Perhaps it would suit your wishes bet-
ter not to believe it. In that case, I have been
mistaken in you, that is all, and I wash my hands
of you,†and there was a slight sneer in his
tones.
“Oh, how can you think that, Monsieur
Michel!†cried Elize, resenting it; ‘“ how can
you believe that I would let my little child go to
those who are not honest or noble, however much
1»
might be gained by it!†and she rose, and her
gentle face flushed up, and a look as nearly re-
sembling indignation as ever came into her calm
eyes was in them now. The old man’s words
10
146 PIERRETTE.
had touched the most sensitive fibre of her
nature, and with them came a sudden turn of
feeling, and a determination to show him that he
had of been mistaken in her.
“ He shall not have my precious little one, —
no, not if he had all the money in Paris! And
he shall not have the lace, although it is finished
and has been waiting for him these eight days.
We will starve first.â€
‘Ah, now you speak like a woman of sense
and honor,†said Michel, softening a little.
“ But, oh,†cried poor Elize, suddenly remem-
bering, ‘‘he has paid me nearly half the price
of it, and that is all spent. Where shall I find
that much money to return to him? What
shall we do?â€
“If you have really made up your mind to
have no further dealings with that canazllerie,
then you can count on me for help. First of
all, the money must be refunded. I will find a
purchaser for your lace, —one who will buy it
with his eyes open, for just what it is and
nothing else, a beautiful piece of handiwork,
made by one of the most skillful needlewomen
in Paris to-day, and who will pay for what it is
PIERRETTE. 147
really worth, not for the number of centuries
that have passed over it, or the great hands that
have touched it. Until the buyer can be found,
I will, myself, advance the money. How much
is it?†asked the old man, abruptly.
“Nearly four hundred francs,’ said Elize,
quite overwhelmed by this sudden mark of
interest from him. And, indeed, it was a tre-
mendous proof of the old tradesman’s regard
for her that he should offer to advance any sum
whatsoever; for he was fond of his gold, and he
had the reputation of being a miser, and always
crying poverty. He disappeared as if by magic
into a little closet whose door was so neatly
fitted into the wall that one would scarcely
have suspected its existence, and re-appeared
promptly with four crisp, new bank-notes
between his fingers.
“There,†he said, giving them to Elize, ‘is
enough to rid you of that monster. You can
pay me back when we sell the lace, or work for
me instead; there is always plenty of work here
for those who want it, and who do it well.â€
Then he sat down again in his big chair, and
rubbed his palms together, and shook his head
148 PIERRETTE.
dubiously, saying now and then, “ Aie, aie, aie,
it is a hard world, this, a very hard world!â€
Elize went to him and held out her hand.
She could not thank him in words. Her voice
was choked with the conflicting emotions that
troubled her gentle breast. She looked up at
him with tears in her large eyes, and the pres-
sure of her delicate fingers told him that her
heart was grateful, — grateful for his help,
grateful for the generous impulse that had
prompted him to stretch out a friendly hand to
her, just as he saw her hovering on the brink of
a great danger.
“Have courage, my little woman,†he said
kindly, as he opened the door for her to pass
out. ‘Heaven is bound to help those who do
right.â€
And when he returned to his fireside he was
obliged to have a serious tussle with Joy-of-My-
Heart, for no apparent reason, except perhaps
that his feelings had got the better of him, and
he had no other way of giving vent to them.
That night he remained a long time shut up
in the little closet with the invisible door. He
took his candle with him, and what he did there
eee ere eed
“He was obliged to have a serious tussle with Joy-of-My heart.â€
PIERRETTE. 151
remained a secret even to Joy-of-My-Heart, who
was never admitted to that innermost place of
confidence. When he emerged from its depths,
several hours later, you might have guessed
that he had been about some very important
and perplexing business; for his few locks of
hair were in a state of sad disorder, and his face
very red with suppressed emotion, and the
fingers of his right hand were bedaubed with
ink, and a tremendous blot adorned the end of
his nose.
Elize hurried out into the street. It had
grown late, and the night was very cold. Hardly
conscious of what she did, she made her way
through the little, narrow streets, and was soon
back to the old house, —the old house that had
begun to look bare and dismal and poor to her,
since the prospect of leaving it for something
better had been held out to her. How much
more dingy and miserable it seemed that night,
now that she must come back to it with her
hopes and bright dreams of prosperity all fled!
They must give up all their little comforts, and
she must work harder than ever now, in order
to pay Monsieur Michel. She felt that they
152 PIERRETTE.
could never again be even as contented as they
had been before they knew Monsieur Le Page
and his benefits; for that is the especial cruelty
of broken hopes, — they make the blindness of
past contentment no longer possible. They
open the eyes to such fair visions of happiness
that we can never go back to our old life and
be at peace with it.
But when she entered the little garret-room,
and felt its genial atmosphere of homeliness,
and saw the little girl asleep on her cot, smiling
in her dreams, the young mother fell upon her
knees and thanked Heaven for the comfort that
stole into her heart at the thought that she
might now keep Pierrette. No, there would be
no dreadful parting; they could still be together,
and live for each other alone; and was not this
better than all the treasures and riches in the
world?
CHAPTER XII.
WHEN the morning came, the little mother’s
most painful task was to tell Pierrette of the
change that had come in their plans and hopes.
She could give the girl no reason for it; she
could not bear to think that her trustful child-
nature should even hear of wrong-doing. Some-
thing had happened, — she could not explain to
Pierrette just what, for she was too young to
understand,— but she would not go and live with
the rich gentleman; and maman would not do
any more work for him; and they would per-
haps never see him again.
The child was greatly puzzled; but there was
no regret in her voice when she asked: “ And
are we to go on living together, petite mere,
154 PIERRETTE.
you and I, in this little room, always? Oh, that
is better than everything, better than living ina
beautiful house where you would not be!â€
“ And, Pierrette,†added the little mother,
taking the child in her arms, and _ lavishing
caresses upon her, as if to soothe what she
fancied might be a greater disappointment to
her, “I must ask you to give up the gold-piece
which Monsieur Le Page gave you; it will not
be right for you to keep it now.â€
“Ts Monsieur Le Page in trouble, petite
mere? Has he lost all his money?†asked the
little girl, with an anxious look.
“He has lost something that is worth more
than money,†was all that Elize said.
Pierrette thought, with a little pang, of how
she would have to go that very morning and
tell Pere Michel that she would not be able to
buy the watch for her mother after all. That
was, I think, her deepest regret. But she gave
up her coin cheerfully, and felt very sorry
for their kind friend, she said, and wondered
secretly what it all meant, and why she should
never again see the handsome monsieur who
had wanted to make her his little girl.
PIERRETTE. 155
While Elize and Pierrette were trying to
reconcile themselves to their altered fortunes,
Monsieur Le Page was at that very moment on
his way to the attic of the old house. He was
coming, not without some misgivings, to receive
the little mother’s answer about Pierrette, and
to get his beautiful piece of old lace, which was
to be delivered to its purchaser that very day.
He had meant to come sooner, for he knew the
work would be finished; but, strangely enough
for him, he had dreaded taking the final step.
He almost wished that he had never entered
into this transaction about the lace. It was the
hardest thing he had ever done in his life to
deceive that little woman, and that pretty child
for whom he had conceived such an unusual
fondness. It pleased him that they should
admire him and trust him. He had never
before known a little child’s love; and already
it was beginning to make a better man of him.
He thought of all that he would do to keep that
trust; in what ways he would make her happy,
and how carefully he would guard her from
knowing any wrong of him.
That was perhaps not the best way of retain-
156 PIERRETTE.
ing any fellow-creature’s trust and confidence,
to seem only to be worthy. He had not learned
that we can never be quite true to others if we
are not true to ourselves; that time had not yet
come for him. But he was beginning to be
conscious of his deficiencies, and that was a
great point gained in his favor. Several times
during the weeks that passed, he had set out
with the intention of coming to Elize. He
wished first of all to settle that matter about the
lace; when it was sold and out of his hands,- he
would breathe more freely, and could talk to her
about taking the little girl with much better grace.
That transaction about the lace troubled him
more than he liked to acknowledge, even to
himself; and he made up his mind that he
would not soon again enter upon another such.
So the days had gone by, and he had not
come; each time something had held him back.
And Elize had waited for him and wondered,
and finally, in her anxiety, had been led to go to
Pere Michel, who had told her everything. And
now the tide of her feelings was turned, and she
could never greet him with that same friendly
trust, or forget that he had sought her help in a
dishonorable deed.
PIERRETTE. 157
How strangely does fate sometimes interpose
in the best laid plans of men! If Monsieur Le
Page had _ not waited, if he had come but three
days before, he would have found the little
mother with her feelings towards him un-
changed, and ready to serve him and believe
him in everything. She would not have gone
to Pére Michel with her confidence, and might
never have known exactly what Monsieur Le
Page purposed doing with the beautiful piece
of lace. Ah, and she would still have intrusted
to him her little girl, to the child’s greater
happiness? who shall say!
But Monsieur Le Page suspected nothing of
all this, as he ascended the stairs of the old
house. He had no idea that those few days of
procrastination could work such a change in his
plans and life, as well as in those of the little
mother and Pierrette; that through them he
was to learn a great lesson in righteousness.
He knocked at the door of the little room,
and it was some minutes before Elize appeared.
But the moment he saw her face, he knew that
something had happened ; and he felt an uncom-
fortable tremor in her presence. She had known
158 PIERRETTE,
it was he ; she recognized his gentlemanly rap.
So few persons ever came to see them, it was
not strange; and no one else ever visited them
at that early hour of the morning. Pierrette
had gone down to see how old Jeanneton had
fared during the night, and Elize was thankful
that the child was not near to hear what she
said to Monsieur Le Page. Her heart was beat-
ing very fast, and her breath came quickly. She
ngeded all her courage to meet him now, and to
hold fast to her resolution. For this gentleman
had a quiet, persuasive manner, a gentle firm-
ness, that made it almost impossible for people
to resist him. He sat down, as was his wont,
before beginning to speak, and then made a few
vague excuses about his delayed return.
“T have been detained,†he said, “by a mul-
titude of circumstances. Business, Madame, is
a most absorbing thing. Now, if you please,
we will attend first to the matter of the lace. It
is finished, is it not? Ah, I knew it; you never
fail in your promises, and that is the secret of
success in any line of business; it has been the
secret of mine. I have brought you the remain-
ing six hundred francs, That sum may help you
PIERRETTE. 159
and Pierrette to pass the Christmas feast pleas-
antly to-morrow. Ah, Madame! what is it?
You are very pale; are you not well— †Mon-
sieur Le Page broke off suddenly, when he saw
the look that came into her face.
Elize was standing in the middle of the room;
she had made no movement to greet him. Her
tongue clung to the roof of her mouth; she
could scarcely find her voice. Oh, how could she
believe it of him!—of this kindly, courteous
gentleman whose gentle manner had won their
young hearts; how could she believe any ill of
him as he stood there before her now, so kindly
solicitous, and, to her innocent eyes, so noble-
looking! Poor little woman, she was so full of
sensibility herself, that it caused her a greater
pang to have to confront him with an accusa-
tion than she had ever felt in her simple life
before. ‘ Monsieur,†she said at length, making
a great effort to speak steadily, “it is a very
difficult thing for me to speak to a gentleman
of your position as I must speak to you this
morning. It is doubly hard after all your past
generosity. Believe me when I say that I do it
only for my honor’s sake. You found us poor,
160 PIERRETTE.
Pierrette and me; we shall be still poorer now,
but we will remain honest. Our honor is all we
have ; but it is very precious to us, more pre-
cious than your wealth.â€
Elize had spoken rapidly, and with quickening
breath, as if every word had cost her an effort.
But she had gathered courage as she went on;
and the firm belief that she was doing right
made her-seem, as she stood before him with
her young face flushed and her candid eyes
looking straight into his, by far the stronger of
the two.
For the first time since she had known him,
she saw Monsieur Le Page lose his rigid self-
control. A deathly pallor overspread his fea-
tures, and a frightened look came into his eyes,
and his fingers began to twitch nervously. He
made an effort to appear calm, but it was use-
less; and if poor, trusting little Elize had cher-
ished any lingering doubt as to the truth of
Pere Michel’s accusation, that sudden transfor-
mation in him was quite enough to dispel it.
“But, Madame,†he said, in a feeble voice of
apology, “I do not understand your meaning
— explain yourself, pray!â€
“*But, Madame,’ he said, in a feeble voice of apology, ‘I do not
understand.’ â€
PIERRETTE. 163
“ There is little to explain, Monsieur, it is sim-
ply that I cannot consent to let you have the
lace; I was ignorant of your purpose when I
promised to make it. I did not know that you
intended to pass it for something that it is not.
If you had told me, I should never have given
my work to further a dishonorable dealing, any
more than would Monsieur Michel. It is bet-
ter for me to work for him at thirty sous a day,
than to earn a thousand francs deceitfully. I
will keep the lace; it will never bring as muchas
you have offered me; but some one will surely
buy it, for it is beautiful, and I have taken pains
in making it, and — and — now, Pierrette and I
will not part, even though we remain poor
always. Oh, Monsieur!†and here the little
mother’s voice broke into sobs, “I would have
given you my treasure! I would have parted
with my darling because I trusted you and
believed in your goodness!â€
Monsieur Le Page felt a cold stream about
his heart, and a sickening sense of fear and dis-
appointment seemed to envelop him. For once
he was himself. His ghastly pallor and the ex-
pression of intense anguish upon his features
164 PIERRETTE,
showed that now, at least, he was not dissimu-
lating. There is always something about genu-
ine emotion that excites compassion. The little
mother’s heart ached for him at that moment
more than it had ever done for her own misfor-
tunes. She wished that she might help him in
some way, wished that she were strong enough
and good enough to turn his heart into the ways
of righteousness. She did not know how much
her brave, upright spirit had already done for
him: how in one short moment the power of
her innocent young nature had had its gentle,
benign influence upon hishard one. She could
see that he was suffering some terrible mental
anguish. Was it at the loss of his worldly
gain? Ah, no, he had quite lost sight of that
now! It was the loss of that young woman’s
respect, the loss of that little child’s love when
they told her ill of him, the loss of those two
dear simple creatures’ trust, which had grown
sweet to him, that most appalled him. He
could not meet her candid gaze now; he knew
that he could not clear himself in her eyes by
a denial of the charge brought against him, or
any feeble explanations. And he realized how
PIERRETTE. 165
precious a thing her trust had been, now that
he had lost it.
That little woman, hidden away there in that
old attic, simple and untaught as she was, had
been able to teach him the worth of honor.
She was poor, and ignorant of many things,
perhaps ; but she had opened the way of truth to
him. He saw now the worthlessness of worldly
pomp. She had preferred to remain poor rather
than profit by gain that was ill-acquired. What
were all his riches to her? She had her honor,
and everything that was in conflict with it
seemed miserable and contemptible to her.
Monsieur Le Page could not account for the
sudden turn of his long established feelings.
Indeed, he did not try to account for it. He
only yielded to the gentle influence of good,
and found some comfort in doing so. He knew
that this woman, with all her youth and timidity
and her lowly condition, was his superior.
What was it, indeed, that gave these simple
people so strong a sense of right? Had not
even old Michel shown himself strong in his
adherence to it? But the old man’s example
alone had not been sufficient to move this fine
166 PIERRETTE.
gentleman’s sensibilities. It had taken little
Elize, with her pure young soul shining in her
lovely face, to touch the eyes of this cold un-
scrupulous man with a collyrium that made his
blindness to justice and truth no longer possible.
When he turned away from the little garret that
morning, he was a changed man. He had come
purposing to continue in his deceit, seeking
only to hide it more skillfully from those whose
good opinion he wished to retain; but when
he went away, he had made the brave resolve
to undeceive himself, first of all, and then deceit
to others would no longer be necessary. And
a resolution with Monsieur Le Page was always
a serious thing, and one that must be achieved
at all costs.
CHAPTER XIIL
THE morrow was Christmas-day,—a white,
clear, joyous Christmas, when every thing and
creature in the gay city should have been
blessed with a glad heart. But poor little
Elize’s heart that morning was heavier than it
had been for many a day. She had spent the
night in tears. She had wept, not so much at
the loss of what had seemed to be such a fair
future for them, not at the thought of the old
life of hardship and labor that she must return
to, for she was a brave little woman, but at the
loss of a friend. She had known so few friends
in the course of her simple, quiet life, so few
people who really understood her, and gave her
the gentle consideration which she loved, until
168 PIERRETTE.
she had known Monsieur Le Page. And now,
alas, it must all come to an end. She must
never see him again; she must not even remem-
ber him, remember his benevolence, and the
pleasure his brief friendship had brought. Ah,
it was a pitiful thing! — and the little mother,
with her strong, affectionate nature, her grateful
knowledge of all his kindnesses to them, found
it very difficult not to think of him often, and in
her heart to forgive him. For it is the better
part of good women to deal less harshly with
others’ wrongs than with their own. She prayed
for him, it was all that she could do; but who
shall say that those silent, fervent prayers were
not heard and answered?
They spent a very quiet day in the little attic,
Pierrette and her mother. They had been to
the early mass, and come home to their simple
morning meal, which was even more frugal than
usual. There were no Christmas gifts for them,
no merry-making and feasting such as might
have been found in almost any home that bright
morning, for they were entirely alone in the big
city, and the few persons they knew were even
worse off than themselves. Elize was sad, and
PIERRETTE. 169
her smile was cheerless all that day; and little
Pierrette could not be quite her happy self,
when she thought of the little watch in Pére
Michel’s shop, that should have been maman’s,
if everything had not happened so strangely;
and that poor little Francois and Jeanneton and
the chiffonnier would none of them receive the
little tokens she had planned for their surprise.
In the evening they two sat beside the small
round table, under the lamp, and the young
mother repeated to Pierrette the story of the
Nativity: how the Infant Jesus himself was
born in lowliness; how He, the king of all
men, had come to this earth as an innocent
babe that we might all be saved, and to teach
us to bear all our woes with courage. Elize,
who had a sweet pious nature, found comfort
in this thought; for she had great need of that
example of courage now.
Pierrette had heard the story many times,
but she never grew tired of listening to it. It
was all a beautiful mystery to her young im-
agination. She had gazed that morning at the
brilliant lights and the flowers in the church,
and heard the angelic music of the choristers,
170 PIERRETTE.
and she felt that it was a time of great rejoicing,
and that although they had had no gifts from
one another, and maman had seemed sorrowful
all day, she knew that she had cause to be glad
because of the great love that had been given to
all the world in the coming of that little Child.
They had been talking together some little
time, when they were interrupted by a strange
sound out in the hall, as if some one were grop-
ing in the dark There was a heavy bumping
and scratching against their door, and then a
mighty scrambling down the narrow stairway, as
if a very stout man and a troublesome dog were
fighting for the right of way. Elize and Pier-
rette started up at once and ran to the door.
The corridor was perfectly black, and they
could see nothing. The little mother brought
the lamp, and held it over the banister; but
by this time there was no one to be seen.
They could only hear the retreating steps of
the intruders away down on the lower flights,
and now and then a suppressed sh—! and a
little yelp that reverberated against the damp
stone walls as if the sounds had come from
some very deep well.
PIERRETTE. 171
“Who can it be at this hour of the evening!â€
said the little mother, wondering, as they turned
back to re-enter their room.
“Oh, perhaps it is Pere Noél!†! cried Pier-
rette, laughing as she caught sight of a large
basket that stood almost in the doorway; it
was a wonder they had not upset it when they
ran out into the hall. ‘‘ Look, look, petite mére,
it is a Christmas-basket; there are flowers on
top! It must be Pére Noél who brought it to
us; and that is why he is running away so fast,â€
and Pierrete laughed again, for she was such a
wise and sensible little girl that she had long
since outgrown that childish belief. ‘‘ Come,
let us open it and see what is in it!†and she
clapped her hands with delight.
They brought the mysterious basket under
the light of the lamp, and emptied its contents
on the table. They found underneath the few
homely flowers and green leaves a variety of
objects that made little Pierrette’s eyes round
with astonishment. If you will believe me, it
contained nearly all the things that Pierrette
had wished for: a little box of colors, with
1 Santa Claus.
172 PIERRETTE.
several different sizes of brushes, and all the
shades of the rainbow, for Francois; a pair of
warm woollen wristlets of a beautiful red, for
the old chiffonnier , a little package of fragrant
tea-leaves for Jeanneton; and a large cornuco-
pia of Christmas bonbons for herself; and in
the centre of it was just such another yellow
coin as Monsieur Le Page had given her some
weeks ago, quite as large and brilliant, wrapped
in a piece of white paper, on which was written,
in very singular chirography, “ For a little girl
with a golden heart.â€
Pierrette was mystified. It really seemed as
if some sly little fairy had peeped into her eyes
that morning and seen all her wishes there; but
she was inclined to believe that it all came from
the kind monsieur who had sometimes sent them
little surprises; but Elize shook her head and
said, “Oh, no, that could not be!†but when
they came to the very bottom of the basket,
and brought out a little leather box with a tiny
gilded padlock and key, and upon opening it
found the little watch that Pierrette had coveted
for her mother, the treasure of Pére Michel’s
shop, then Pierrette danced about the room for
“Look, look, petite mere, it is a Christmas basket.â€
PIERRETTE. 175
joy, like a little elf, and clapped her hands, and
cried, ‘‘Oh, petite mere, now we cannot say
that this has not been a merry Christmas, can
we?†and she kissed her maman ecstatically.
And the poor little mother was all but in tears
when she heard Pierrette’s account of her inter-
view with the old man about the watch.
‘We still have a friend, my Pierrette, it is
Pére Michel; how kind and generous of him!â€
And who indeed but Pére Michel had such a
remarkable way of finding out people’s thoughts
and wishes, and such an eccentric way of grati-
fying them! It must be confessed, however,
that this was the first time in Pére Michel’s life,
perhaps, that he had played the part of a bene-
factor. He was usually regarded as an old miser
who cared for no one but himself and_ his
poodle; but this had been an exceptional case
with the old man, —the case of Pierrette and the
little mother, and these two simple souls had a
way, all unconscious to themselves, of drawing
even the hardest hearted people to them and
making themselves beloved.
Pére Michel had not been to church that
Christmas day, or said many prayers. Indeed, I
176 PIERRETTE.
doubt if he ever said any at all. But he went
back to his little shop with the feeling that he
had done a religious duty. He had seen the
spirit of self-sacrifice and unselfishness in both
the mother and the little girl, and he had wished
to reward it; because, as he afterwards explained
to himself, with a wise nod, Providence does not
always look to these things, and he did not
mean to run any chances of their being disap-
pointed.
Pierrette went down, as soon as her joy was a
little under control, and distributed her presents
to her friends. And these felt, no doubt, that her
bright little face and merry laugh, and the kind
words she brought them, were the best part
of her gifts. She related to each one how mys-
teriously the basket was brought to their door,
just as they were beginning to think that they
should have no presents at all. And so it was
that the day ended happily for Pierrette and her
little mother, even though it had begun in sad-
ness; for the little girl’s dearest wish had been
realized, and Elize discovered that they had
made another friend.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE rest of that winter was a busy time for
them. Elize was obliged to work very hard; for
she must pay her debt to Pére Michel, and make
enough for herself and Pierrette to live upon
besides. The old man was more lenient than
usual, and often told her not to be over-anxious,
that some fine day he would find a purchaser
for her beautiful piece of lace, and then he
should pay himself, afd all would be right. But
the winter melted into spring, and no one came
to buy, for most of Pére Michel’s customers were
of the poorer classes, and had no use for such a
bit of luxury, nor would they have paid its
price; and the old man would not let it go for
a paltry sum, because he knew its worth.
Ue
178 PIERRETTE.
Once in awhile the ladies who came to him
to dispose of their old finery, being no doubt in
need of money themselves, would stop and eye
the exquisite piece of work, and would hold up
their hands in despair at the price he had set
upon it. So it lay there in the old chest, month
after month, and Elize sighed every time she
went into the old man’s shop and saw it there;
for it recalled many bright hopes she had
stitched into it, and the brief happiness she had
known and could not forget.
One day in the spring, when Paris is at its
gayest, and the broad smooth avenues of the
city are delicately shaded with the new growth
of leaves, and the flower-vendors display their
brilliant masses of blossoms at the foot of some
old gray stone palace, and the air is filled with
sunshine and the songs of young birds, Pére
Michel, no doubt stirred into a spirit of adven-
ture by the joyous awakening of all nature
around him, was strolling across one of the
arched bridges of the Seine, the one leading to
the Place de la Concorde, which is the centre and
rendezvous of all the brilliant world on a pleas-
ant April day. It was not a holiday, except that
PIERRETTE. 179
with the Parisians all days are holidays in the
early spring-time, and every one looks upon it
as a duty to enjoy to his utmost these first
sweet pleasures of nature. To one who like
old Michel spent so many of his days in a dingy
little shop in that damp, gray court of the rue
des Anges, a day on the other side of the Seine,
where all seems bright and festive, and has the
aspect of being entirely given up to enjoyment,
is a veritable treat. He glanced approvingly
down at the innumerable little boats shooting
under the graceful bridges of the Seine, filled with
the gay crowd bound on some pleasure trip be-
yond the city ; at the throng of carriages relling
up and down the avenue of the Champs Elysées ;
at the waters of the fountains in the gardens of
the Tuileries dancing in the sunlight, and the
children playing around their basins; at the
nursemaids listening to the confidences of some
gay young soldier in uniform; at old citizens
sitting about on benches, quietly reading their
newspapers: and Pere Michel’s bosom swelled
with pride, and he felt, as every Parisian of the
poorer classes always feels in the midst of such a
scene, that he was in a great measure responsible
180 PIERRETTE.
for this splendor and display, and general atmos-
phere of life and prosperity.
But while Pére Michel was enjoying his out-
ing conscientiously, he was not on this side of
the Seine wholly without purpose. He seldom,
if ever, failed to couple business with pleasure.
He made his way after a little time to the rue de
Rivoli, which fronts the palace gardens, sauntered
leisurely under its wide arcades, looking in at the
shop-windows, and humming a tuneless air to
himself. He was meditating a bold venture. He
knew of several rich dealers in the rue. They did
not know him, but that was an accident. They
made a specialty of laces,—of beautiful fine
hand-work, which they did not pass off for famed
antiques, like that handsome rogue, Le Page.
On the contrary, they dealt only in novelties.
He had thought for some time of taking Elize’s
work to them, to see how much they would
offer for it. On his way thither he had to pass
the fine establishment belonging to Monsicur
Le Page, and he was preparing to shake his fist
at it, and to call down a thousand maledictions
upon its proprietor, by the way, when, to his
amazement, as he neared the well-known corner,
PIERRETTE. 181
he found that the place was closed, that the
large sign with its golden letters had been taken
down, and that every trace of Monsieur Le Page
and his traffic had disappeared.
Pére Michel scratched his head and winked
very hard several times; he could not believe
his eyes. What could it all mean! The wealthy
shop that had stood there for so many years,
with its rare collection of treasures, where had it
~ gone? It was not possible that Le Page could
have failed, and he, Michel, not have heard a
word of it. No, that could hardly be; Le Page
was too rich for that. He was moved to step
into the neighboring shop and make a few
indifferent inquiries.
No, Monsieur Le Page had not met with bank-
ruptcy, the shopkeeper next door told him, and
rather smiled at the idea. He had simply
closed his business and retired. No one knew
just why. Some thought he was in ill-health ;
others that he was losing his mind, he had been
doing such very queer things of late, — for in-
stance, he had given up his magnificent home
on the avenue des Bois de Boulogne, and gone
to one of the smaller faubourgs to live in a cot-
182 PIERRETTE.
tage with only one servant! Prosperity had
turned his head, and made an eccentric of him.
But all the other merchants in the rue were glad
that he was gone, for it left them something of a
chance now; he had been altogether too suc-
cessful a rogue for them.
Pére Michel’s face was a picture as he
listened to these mystifying revelations. He
could hardly disguise his surprise. He drew
his thumbs from his vest-pockets, and snapped
his fingers in the air several times, saying, in a
voice that was husky with emotion, “Aie, aie,
aie, I did not expect this! Wonders will not
cease!’ and he was so overcome with his
reflections that he quite forgot his errand, and
hurriedly made his way back to his own dwell-
ing in the rue des Anges, where he might
ponder at his ease, in the quiet companionship
of his faithful dog.
While Pére Michel was trying to account for
Monsieur Le Page’s singular proceedings, and
making up his mind that he would go to see
the little mother no later than that evening,
and acquaint her with these strange facts, Elize
was making discoveries of her own. If the old
PIERRETTE. 183
man had stepped into the little garret at that
moment, and heard what was going on there, he
would have been still more surprised. A lady
was sitting in the room with Elize, —a hand-
some lady, richly dressed, unlike any one who
came to visit the old house, in fact it was the
same lady whom Elize and Pierrette had seen
at the door of the church, that morning nearly a
year ago, talking with their benefactor. She
was the patron for whom Elize had, without
knowing it, worked the beautiful piece of old
lace. She knew the whole story, and she was
relating to Elize how Monsieur Le Page had
come to her himself, and acknowledged his
guilt. He told her how he had planned to
deceive her, until this little woman, who was
only a plain, humble, working-girl of Paris, had
refused to lend herself to his unfair dealings;
how she had taught him the price and worth of
virtue, and made him feel that nothing in this
world could take the place of it; how she had
spurned his money, his offers of advancement
for herself and her little girl, and preferred to
live ina miserable little garret, working hard to
earn thirty sous a day, rather than be enriched
184 PIERRETTE.
by money that had been obtained through fraud ;
how her upright and strong young nature had
shamed him, and brought him to a sense of his
own weakness.
“He came to me with his story,†the lady
went on, as Elize listened to her every word
with flushed cheeks and beating heart, “ because
it was I whom he had planned to deceive, and
by this you may judge how sincere is his
repentance. He might have given some excuse
for not procuring the lace, and no one would
have doubted him, I least of all. But he is
a different man; and it is you and your little
child who have made him so. He has given up
all his wealth, and made reparation wherever
he could, and has followed your example, in
choosing rather to live in honest poverty than
in luxury that is obtained through dishonor. I
honor him for it. I honor you, my dear young
woman, let me call you my friend. It is not
often that the people of our world meet with
such noble, honest hearts,†and she held out
her arms and took both Elize’s hands in hers,
and pressed them affectionately.
The little mother’s eyes were running over
“© Ah, Madame,’ she said, tremulously, ‘you make me very
happy!â€
PIERRETTE. 187
with glad tears. ‘Ah, Madame,†she said,
tremulously, “you make me very happy! Mon-
sieur was so very kind to us, and taught my
little girl and me to care for him very much; I
could not bear to know any ill of him. And
now, now, I may think well of him again; and
my dear Pierrette may still love him, for she
knows nothing.â€
“Monsieur Le Page will be greatly com-
forted to learn this, and I shall tell him of it;
for I think he values your good opinion more
than anything else in the world. And now,â€
she said, trying not to notice the young woman’s
emotion, “you will be good enough to send
me the lace. JI will buy it, even though it is
not a relic of some great personage. It will
remind me of you and your good deed, and
become as precious to me for that reason,â€â€™
and the stately lady rose, and kissed the little
mother, and went away from the small garret
room leaving a genial atmosphere of kindli-
ness and smiles behind her.
From that day Elize and Pierrette’s star of
good fortune seemed to shine brightly once
more; and the little mother realized then, more
188 PIERRETTE.
than she had ever done before, how surely a
righteous deed brings its own reward,
and sheds its silent influence
aye,
even tenfold,
on others, and brings contentment to ourselves.
It isa blessed lesson; and fortunate are we if
we learn to know its worth while we are still
young, and may use the power and charm of
youth to bring others to a sense of its truth.
CHAPTER XV.
Some months later, Pierrette came into Pere
Michel’s shop, one very warm morning, about
noon, and was greatly surprised to find the old
man stretched out in his arm-chair, his feet
resting on the little wooden stool before him,
his head bandaged with a dripping red hand-
kerchief whose dyed moisture trickled dismally
down his face and ears, and gave him a most
dejected aspect. He was groaning lamentably,
and making the most alarming grimaces; and
Joy-of-My-Heart was mingling his wails of
distress with those of his master. The whole
scene might have appeared ludicrous to little
Pierrette if she had not feared that he had met
with some dire calamity.
190 PIERRETTE.
“Oh, pray, Monsieur Michel, what is the
â€
matter?â€â€™ she cried; “has anything happened
to you?†and she ran to him, and laid her
little hand soothingly on his temple, as she
was wont to do for old Jeanneton when she had
her crises de nerfs.
“ Aje, oh, aie, oh!†bellowed the old fellow,
“it is spasms, spasms in the back of my neck.
I must have caught a sunstroke when I went
out to fetch my eggs. Ah, ta, ta, there goes
another one over my left eye!â€
“Oh, is it so bad as that? Do let me run for
the apothecary; he will make you well at once,
I know. He gives maman tisanes for her head-
ache very often.â€
“No, no, do not call him; I have a horror of
the brutes. There, I shall be better soon;
perhaps it is not quite a sunstroke after all;
but there are hammers in my head, and they are
all pounding in different ways, and there are
little saws, a dozen of them, sawing my cranium
in two. Oh, la, la!â€
Pierrette shivered at these blood-curdling
sensations. “What can I do for you,†she
asked. “Oh, let me go for maman!â€
PIERRETTE. 191
“Yes, yes, you may do that,†he said; “the
sight of your little mother alone, and you too,
for that matter, would cure a fit of apoplexy.
But first, dip this into that cold water,†and he
handed her the red bandana.
Pierrette did as she was bidden, and laid the
cool, wet cloth on the old man’s head; at which
he gave a tremendous sigh of relief, and declared
that he was better already.
In a few moments the little girl returned
with her mother, who was quite alarmed at the
child's description of Pere Michel’s dire con-
dition. She had brought her tisanes and her
spirit-lamp, and began at once to administer
the soothing remedies.
Pére Michel was in no very great danger, —a
little headache, perhaps, from having sat up too
late the night before to reckon up his profit and
loss, for it was just at the close of his busy
season; but he was usually so hale and robust
that the slightest symptom of a pain alarmed
him immeasurably; and he always imagined
himself the prey of some fatal malady, and
knew that he was going to die immediately.
He would not own up to a simple mzgraines, or
192 PIERRETTE.
headache, for that was the complaint of the
genteel world. Besides, he contended that he
had very little in his head to ache. It must be
sunstroke, or apoplexy, or something equally
malignant.
When Elize had pacified the old man, and
reassured him about himself, he eyed her
shrewdly as he handed her the empty cup of
tea. “So you think I am not likely to die this
time?†he inquired of her, as seriously as if she
were the one to decide that matter.
â€
“Oh, dear, no,†replied Elize, cheerfully.
“Vou will be all well in a few hours, and quite
like yourself again. You have a great many
more years to live, I hope, Monsieur Michel.â€
“Nevertheless, it is always well to be pre-
pared for the worst. Life is uncertain; and I
have made all my arrangements. I do not pro-
pose to be taken unawares.â€
“Of course not,†said Elize, not quite com-
prehending the drift of his words, but not wish-
ing to fatigue him with explanations.
“T had not meant to tell you so soon; but
after such an attack as this, there is no telling
what hour may be my last!â€
“ Pierrette did as she was bidden, and laid the cool, wet cloth on
the old man’s head.â€
i
t
a
it
‘
.
PIERRETTE. 195
“Oh, pray don’t, Monsieur Michel, it pains
me to hear you talk so,†said Elize, in gentle
remonstrance.
“You shall not have cause to grieve when I
go, neither you nor Pierrette.â€â€™
“Indeed we should, Monsieur. You have
been a good friend to us.â€
“Are you sure of that?†asked the old man,
remembering what they had lost of worldly
prosperity through his revelations about Mon-
sieur Le Page a few months ago.
“Yes, very sure; are we not, Pierrette? â€
The little girl answered by dancing around
the back of the old man’s chair, and deposit-
ing a butterfly kiss on the top of his bald head.
And this seemed to revive the old fellow more
than his three cups of tea.
ee Lely, well,†he said, “then you may come
with me, and I will let you into a secret. Take
this,†and he gave her a lighted candle; “you
must learn to find the way alone.â€
He pressed a little spring in the wall, and
immediately the little trap-door flew open.
They went into the little dark room, he lead-
ing the way; and Elize saw, by the dim light of
196 PIERRETTE,
the tallow, that it contained only one chair and
a small, old-fashioned escritotre to which Pere
Michel retired in secrecy whenever he wished
to draw up any important document. On one
side of the wall were three deep drawers;
each one was numbered, and was closed with
a padlock. “These,†he said, pointing to
the upper two, “contain my gold, the little
I have been able to save from a whole life
of hard work and economy. In the last, you
will find my testament.†He opened this
drawer and brought out a very official-looking
document bearing the seal of the republic,
and allowed Elize to touch it. “If anything
happens to me, you will remember this and
take charge of it.â€
“Oh, Monsieur!†cried timid little Elize,
“you frighten me. I know nothing at all about
such things. Really, you must not talk about
things happening to you, and dying! It is
dreadful,†pleaded the little mother, who felt
that the old man’s mysterious proceedings were
indeed grewsome.
“When I make ready to decamp —†pursued
Pére Michel, jocosely, ‘“‘we must all come to it
PIERRETTE. 197
some day, you as well as I, though the probabil-
ities are that I shall go first, am I not forty
years in advance of you! — when I slip through
the narrow gate, I cannot take this with me!â€
and he shrugged his shoulders and spread out
his palms with a deprecatory air, and then
added, in a confidential whisper, close to the
little woman’s ear, “ She shall have it all, — the
little Pierrette, I mean that she shall have it.
There is no one else to dispute it to her, —no
one but Joy-of-My-Heart, and he knows better
than to go against my wishes. Do you under-
stand me? It shall all be hers; there is nota
great fortune, but it will make a neat little dor
for her when she grows up.â€
Elize was amazed. She wondered why peo-
ple were so thoughtful of them. Even this old
man, who was generally believed to be selfish
and unsympathetic, had shown to them the
softer side of his nature, and done them
many acts of kindness; and now he was think-
ing of providing for her little child, when
he should be with them no more! She was
deeply touched.
“You must not think of that for a long time
198 PIERRETTE.
to come,â€â€™ she said, gently. “See, you have
forgotten all about your bad head; and when I
have made you another cup of tea, you will be
quite well again,†and she led the way back
into the little shop, where Pierrette and the
poodle were amusing themselves with a lively
game of catch.
That afternoon, Pére Michel treated them to
a half-holiday in the country, which was one of
the little mother’s rare delights. He said she
was working too hard, and her eyes looked tired,
and the sight of the green grass and trees, anda
draught of the pure, fresh country air would do
her good after the long hot months in the city.
So he sent them off to Meudon, that gay little
paradise of flowers and sunshine which Elize
loved because she had once been happy there.
They wandered about through its still woods
and flowered paths, gathering the sweet wild
strawberries and long coils of foliage to take
home to their little garret. They sat down on
the cool moss to rest, under some broad shady
trees, listening to the varied notes of songful
birds and all the sweet harmony of sound that
soothe the ear on a quiet summer day; and to
PIERRETTE. 199
these two children of the city whose young
natures had had nothing to make them bloom
but old gray walls and scanty rays of sunlight,
this was like the fleeting glimpse of a lost
heaven.
Elize was pensive; her large soft eyes were
dreamy. She seemed to see something in that
bank of purple and golden clouds resting yonder
on the summit of those green slopes; while
Pierrette, with flushed cheeks and flying curls,
was chasing the yellow butterflies, and her clear
childish voice rang in merry laughter upon the
quiet landscape.
They did not know, as they were there
together, what a pretty picture they made, or
that some one had been standing at a little
distance watching them,—some one whose
heart was beating very fast at the sight of
those two innocent faces, and whose lips trem-
bled. He tried to turn away from them; a
twig snapped under his feet; a flock of birds
flew frightened from a neighboring tree, — and
Elize and Pierrette looked around and beheld
Monsieur Le Page!
The great lady had spoken truly. He was
200 PIERRETTE.
indeed a different man. His face was softened,
and his eyes had lost their piercing, searching
look. He stood and gazed at them; and his
face broke into a happy smile as the little girl,
uttering a cry of joy, ran to him with her
arms outstretched. I think there were tears
in his eyes as he stooped down and kissed
her.
“And so you are not afraid to come to me,
my little Pierrette,†he said. “And you, too,
you have forgiven?â€â€™ and he held out his hand
to the little mother, who had risen and followed
Pierrette.
“T know, I know,†she said tremblingly,
“you ave noble and good; you have tried to do
right, and sacrificed much for it.â€
“J have done it all for you,†he returned.
“It is you that has taught me the beauty of
truth; it is you alone who can make me all
that I would be.â€
Elize understood him, for his look said more
than his words. She gave him her hand.
“T am very weak and ignorant; but I will
help you if you so wish it,†she said.
“ Always?â€
PIERRETTE. 201
“Yes, always,†and they walked away to-
gether; and suddenly the little mother was
in that truly golden world of her dreams, and
the glory of the dying day seemed to’ shed its
rays upon all things about her.
They walked a short distance down a pretty
winding road, and he showed them the little
home where he now dwelt, and told them how
much happier he had been there than he had
ever been in his grand’ palace in the big city.
And when he had shown them all the simple
things that now gave him pleasure, and taken
them through the little house and garden, he
turned to Pierrette and said:—
“Ask your maman if she will come and be
the mistress of this little home, and give me
the right to call you my own little girl?â€
“Oh, petite mére,†cried the child, throw-
ing her arms about her mother’s neck, “will
you?â€
To this day Pere Michel will tell you about
it with as much relish and enjoyment as if it
were a fairy-tale; and the neighbors are never
weary of listening to it. How the little mother
202 PIERRETTE,
and Pierrette caused the rich gentleman to give
up his wealth, and to become honest and good
for their sake; and he is not wholly disinclined
to admit that it was all brought about through
his own fine management. And he speaks of
“Ma’mzelle Pierrette’’ as an heiress; but no
one suspects him of being the author of her
expectations, or has the least idea of the sur-
prisingly neat little fortune which this old
miser has hoarded up and destined to be her
portion. And now the pleasantest hours of the
old man’s life are the Sundays which he spends
with Joy-of-My-Heart at the little cottage in
Meudon.
The pretty cottage is still there, and you
may see it yourself if you happen to be passing
through the lovely village, —a little cottage
whose quaint roofs are mantled with the white
snow in the wintry season, and overgrown with
vines and climbing roses, and shaded by the
fragrant acacia-trees in the pleasant summer,
with a little brooklet running through its gar-
den, and the happiest of faces looking from its
windows; a little home where only peace and
contentment are to be found, for the old days
PIERRETTE. 203
in the garret of the dingy city house are for-
gotten, and its inmates believe themselves the
three very happiest people in all the great city
of Paris. For one of them, at least, has learned
that true happiness is not to be found in riches,
or power, or worldly renown, but only where
Love dwells!
THE END.
Miss Marcuerite Bouver's Books,
A CHILD OF TUSCANY. Illustrated by Will Phillip
Hooper. Small quarto. $1.50. (Just published. ).
A sweet, wholesome, and cheerful story. . . . The children will follow
with unabated interest the career of the little peasant hero, who, by un-
selfish love and patient, persistent labor, rises from poverty to wealth,
My Laby: A Story of Long Ago. Illustrated by Helen
Maitland Armstrong. 16mo. $1.25.
It is, indeed, a little idyl of rare charm and delicacy. — 7%? Evening
Bulletin, Philadelphia.
SWEET WILLIAM. Illustrated by Helen and Margaret
Armstrong. Eleventh thousand. Small 4to. $1.50.
Sweet William is a charming little figure. The author has given her
story a marked individuality that must ensure its wide popularity. — The
Boston Advertiser.
LITTLE MARJORIE’S LOVE Story. — Illustrated by
Helen Maitland Armstrong. Fifth thousand. Small
4to. $1.00.
A wonderfully attractive story, touching in its pathos, pure in senti-
ment, and elegant in the simplicity with which it is told. — Jzter Ocean,
Chicago.
PRINCE TIP Top. A Fairy Tale. With numerous illus-
trations by Helen M. Armstrong. Fourth thousand.
Small 4to. $1.00.
A beautiful little fairy story ... The style is simple and engaging,
and the illustrations are daintily executed. — Commercial Advertiser, New
York.
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For sale by booksellers generally, or will be sent, postpaid, on receipt
of the price, by
eA. C. McCLURG AND CO., Publishers,
CHICAGO.
A_SONG OF LIFE.
By MARGARET WARNER MORLEY. With profuse illus-
trations by the Author and by Robert Forsyth.
Price, $1.25.
A most charmingly instructive book; and so beautifully explained is
the great subject of life that the little ones for whom it is intended cannot
but receive great benefit, while the older ones will also learn much. Some-
thing of flower life, something of fish life, of frogs and of birds, and a
chapter on human life, form the subjects of this book, all told in the grace-
ful manner of a womanly woman whose love for Nature has given her a
keener insight into Nature’s secrets and a greater ability to impart those
secrets to others with the ease of face-to-face talks than is vouchsafed to
many people. — Boston Times.
——_»—_——_-
For sale by booksellers generally, or will be sent, postpaid, on recerpt
of the price, by
eA. C. MCCLURG AND CO., Publishers,
CHICAGO.
THE STORY OF [ONTY.
An Historical Romance. By MARY HARTWELL
CATHERWOOD, author of “ The Romance of
Dollard,†‘The Lady of Fort St. John,†etc.
Profusely Illustrated from original drawings by
Mr. Enoch Ward. 12mo, 224 pages, $1.25.
“THE Story of Tonty,†in which Mrs. Catherwood’s genius
for historical romance reaches perhaps its highest manifestation,
is a Western story, beginning at Montreal, tarrying at Fort
Frontenac, and ending at the old fort at Starved Rock, on the
Illinois river. It weaves the adventures of the two great ex-
plorers, the intrepid La Salle and his faithful lieutenant, Tonty,
into a tale as thrilling and romantic as the descriptive portions
are brilliant and vivid. It is superbly illustrated with twenty-
three masterly drawings by Mr. Enoch Ward.
for sale by booksellers generally, or will be sent, post-paid, on
receipt of the price, by
A. C. MCCLURG AND CO., Publishers,
CHICAGO.
SHORT HISTORY o ENGLAND
FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. By Miss E. S.
KIRKLAND, author of “ A Short History of France,â€
“Speech and Manners,†etc.
12mo, cloth, price, $1.25.
Rann Meee
IN reviewing Miss Kirkland’s * Short History of France,â€
the “ Nation’ said Miss Kirkland had “ composed it in the way
in which a history for young people should be written.†It is
therefore natural that many admirers of the earlier work should
have urged its author to write a history of England on the same
plan. ‘This seemed especially desirable to those who think that
no history of England adapted to the needs of young people
now exists. Miss Kirkland has yielded to the urgency, and this
book is the result; but it was not written until after years of
careful preparation.
It is believed that the book will be found to be even an
improvement upon her admirable history of France, as the
experience gained in writing that volume has greatly aided Miss
Kirkland in preparing this. It will not be found a book for
adults simply put into childish language, nor will it be found full
of the divine right of kings nor of the unwisdom of the American
colonies in breaking away from the good and parental govern-
ment of the mother country; but it will be found very inter-
esting, calm, judicial, and somewhat original in its judgments,
thoroughly abreast with the results of recent investigations,
and making the effort at least to tell the entire story justly and
dispassionately, and with thought and language alike adapted
to the capacity and the needs of the young.
—_—__«—____
Sold by all booksellers, or mailed, on receipt of price, by
eA. C. MCCLURG AND CO., Publishers,
Cor. Wabash Ave, and Madison St., Chicago.
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