"And who filled M. Alexandre's place?" "Oh, that? Tis fil' partly by Mme. Alexandre and partly by that diminishing of the businezz--till the largez' part of it is ripairing--of old laces, embro'deries, and so forth. Madame's shop is the chief place in the city for that. Of that we have all we can do. 'Tis a beautiful work. "So tha'z all I have to tell, Mr. Chezter; and I've enjoyed to tell you that so you can see why we are so content and happy, my aunts and I--and Hector--and Marie Madeleine. H'm?" "That's all you have to tell?" "That is all." "But not all there is to tell, even of the past, mademoiselle." "Ah! and why not?" "Oh, impossible!" Chester softly laughed and had almost repeated the word when the girl blushed; whereupon he did the same. For he seemed all at once to have spoiled the whole heavenly day, until she smilingly restored it by saying: "Oh, yes! One thing I was forgetting. Just for the laugh I'll tell you that. You know, even in a life as quiet as mine, sometimes many things happening together, or even a few, will make you see bats instead of birds, eh?" "I know, and mistake feelings for facts. I've done it often, in a moderate way." "Yes? Me the same. But very badly, so that the sky seemed falling in, only once." Chester thought that if the two aunts, just then telling the biography of their dolls, were his, his sky would have fallen in at least weekly. "Tell me of that once," he said, and, knowing not why, called to mind those four soldiers in France, to her, for some reason, unmentionable. "Well, first I'll say that the archbishop he had been the true friend of papa, but now this time, this 'once' when my sky seemed falling, both mamma and papa they were already gone. I don't need to tell you what the trouble was about, because it never happened; it only threatened to happen. So when I saw there was only me to prevent it and to----" "To hold the sky up?" "Yes, seeing that, it seemed to me the best friend to go to was the archbishop. "'Well, my old and dear friend's daughter,' he said, 'what is it?' "'Most reverend father in God, 'tis my wish to become a nun.' "'My child, that is a beautiful sentiment.' "'But 'tis more; even more than my wish; 'tis my resolution. I must do that. 'Tis as if I heard that call from heaven to me, Aline Chapdelaine!' "'Ah, but that's not only your name. Your mamma, up yonder, she's also Aline Chapdelaine.' "'Yes, but I know that call is to me. Ah, your Grace, surely, surely, you will not forbid me?' "'No, my daughter. Yet at the same time that is not a thing to be done suddenly, or in desperation. I'll appoint you a season for reflection and prayer, and after that if your resolution remains the same you shall become a nun.' "'But, for the sake of others, will not that season be made short?'