A little before dark I reach Toulven, where I propose to stop for a couple of hours to make my adieux. How green it is and decked with flowers, this Toulven, this fresh and shady region, the most delightful in Brittany! There I find them waiting for me to cut little Pierre's hair. The idea that anyone would entrust me with such a task had never occurred to me. They told me "that I was the only one who could keep him quiet." The previous week, they had brought in the barber from Toulven, and little Pierre had made such a fuss that the first thing the scissors did was to cut his little ears; and it had been necessary to abandon the project. I made the attempt, however, in order to please them, hard put to it not to laugh. Then when I had done, the notion came to me to keep one of the little brown curls which I had cut off, and I took it away with me, surprised that I should set so much store by it. CHAPTER LXXIV _A Letter from Yves_ "On board the _Sèvre_, Lisbon, "1_st August_, 1881. "DEAR BROTHER,--I am sending you this short letter in reply on the same day that I have received yours. I write in haste and am taking advantage of the luncheon hour. I am on the stand of the main mast. "We put into Lisbon yesterday evening. Dear brother, we have had very bad weather this time; we have lost our head sails, the mizzen and the whaler. I may tell you also, that, in the heavy rolling of the ship, my kit-bag and my locker have disappeared, and all my possessions with them; I have suffered a loss of nearly a hundred francs in this way. "You asked me what I did on the Sunday, a fortnight ago. My good brother, I remained quietly on board and finished reading 'Capitaine Fracasse.' And, since your departure, I have only been ashore once, on Sunday last; and I was very sober, for in the first place, I had sent home the whole of my month's money; I had drawn sixty-nine francs and sent sixty-five of them to my wife. "I have had news from Toulven and it is all good. Little Pierre is very sharp and he can now run about very well. Only he is very naughty when he gets _his little sea-gull mood on him_, like me, you know; from what his mother says, he upsets everything he can get hold of. The walls of our house are already more than six feet above ground; I shall be very happy when it is quite finished, and especially when I see you installed in your little room. "Dear brother, you bid me think of you often; I assure you that never an hour passes in which I do not think of you, and often many times in the hour. Besides, now, you understand, I have no longer anyone to talk to in the evening--and sometimes I have no cigarettes. "I cannot tell you when we are leaving here, but please write to me at Oran. I hear we shall be paid at Oran, so that we may be able to go ashore and buy tobacco. "I end, my dear brother, in embracing you with all my heart. "Your affectionate brother who loves you. Ever yours, "YVES KERMADEC.