“You may keep the book, my child,” agreed the grandmother, little knowing under what circumstances she would see it again. Victor slipped it into his pocket and went over to where the two girls were whispering together. He sat down by them and they played some foolish games, smothering frequent bursts of laughter, till bedtime came. Then Lucie was taken up to a little clean bedroom, very tiny, but quite comfortable and fragrant with the sweet spring odors. Annette was no farther off than the next room, but Paulette was separated from her by sweeps of grass, garden paths and rows of apple trees. The girl felt a little lonely, in spite of Annette. She wondered if she would be able to avoid Madame Guerin’s angles and Madame Le Brun’s exactions. Of Mons. Le Brun she had no fear. He was her grandfather’s friend and in her last waking thoughts the dear grandfather had place. Before the end of the week Victor departed, and Lucie missed him. Always he was able to smooth out the wrinkles, she told herself as she sighed. Paulette and Odette were working in the fields and she saw not much of them. They were tired at night and were at their labors before she was up in the morning. Madame Le Brun, while insisting that Annette should not be idle, was more lenient to Lucie, over whom she considered that she had no rights beyond seeing that she was comfortable. So Lucie cast about for something to do, and finally consulted Mons. Le Brun. “What should you like to do?” he asked. “I think it would please my parents if I were to study, but it is hard to do that alone.” Mons. Le Brun tapped the ends of his fingers together as he considered the question. After a while he said: “How should you like that I teach you Latin?” “And I could teach you English?” Mons. Le Brun laughed. “Very well, but I do not promise that I am a very brilliant pupil.” “Annette already knows a little that I have taught her,” Lucie told him. “I think it would be well for her to join us, then she could study Latin with me and English with you.” Again the old man laughed. “Poor Annette will then be doing double work, but never mind, it need not be too hard for her. If I get into difficulties as teacher I will go to the good _curé_ who will help me out.”