"Oh! except for him I should have said 'yes' long ago, for I am tired of being flogged; now to-night, mother never was so wicked--she was like a fury--it was very dark, dark; she said not a word, I only felt her cold hand, which held me by the neck, while with the other she beat me, and I thought I saw her eyes glisten." "Poor Francois! because you said you saw a dead man's bones in the wood-house?" "Yes, a foot which stuck out of the earth," said Francois, shuddering with affright: "I am sure of it." "Perhaps formerly there was a burying-ground there?" "Must think so; but, then, why did mother say she would whip me again if I spoke of it to Martial? I tell you what, it is likely some one has been killed in a dispute, and been buried there so it should not be known." "You are right! for, do you remember, such a thing once liked to have happened?" "When was that?" "You know the time that Barbillon struck the man with the knife--the tall man, who is so thin--so thin that he shows himself for money?" "Ah! yes, the Living Skeleton, as they call him; mother came and separated them, otherwise Barbillon would, perhaps, have killed the great skeleton! Did you see how he foamed, and how his eyes stuck out of his head?" "Oh! he is not afraid to stick a knife into one for nothing." "He is a madcap!" "Oh! yes, so young, and so wicked, Francois!" "Tortillard is much younger; and he would be quite as bad, if he had the strength." "Oh! yes, he is very bad. The other day he struck me because I would not play with him." "He struck you? good--the next time he comes--" "No, no, Francois, it was only in fun." "You are sure?" "Yes, very sure." "Very well--or--but I do not know where he gets so much money from; when he came here with La Chouette, he showed us some gold pieces of twenty francs." "How impudent he looked when he told us, 'You could have just the same, if you were not little duffers.'" "Duffers?" "Yes, that means stupid fools." "Oh, yes! true." "Forty francs--in gold--how many fine things I would buy with that! And you, Amandine?" "Oh! I likewise." "And what would you buy?" "Let me see," said the child, in a meditative manner; "in the first place I would get a warm coat for brother Martial, so that he should not be cold in his boat." "But for yourself--for yourself?" "I would like an infant Saviour, in wax, with his lamb and cross, like the image-man had on Sunday, you know, at the door of the church of Asnieres." "I hope no one will tell mother Calabash that they saw us at church." "True, she has so often forbidden us to enter one. It is a pity, for a church is very nice inside, is it not, Francois?" "Yes, what fine candlesticks!" "And the picture of the Holy Virgin! how good she looks!" "And the lamps; and the fine cloth on the table at the end, where the priest said mass, with his two friends dressed like himself, who gave him water and wine."