He explained that he had lived with a girl, a rag-gatherer like himself. They had struck up acquaintance when plying their hooks, and made love across the dust-bins--and they had come to an understanding. So far, so good. But then at the end of eight months--eight months exactly, that was the annoying part!--Marie had gone to Boucicaut for the birth of her child, a little duck, as pretty as could be! The point was not so much to find out who its father was, as to rear the little brat! It used to be quite a paying job--but then the great Trafalgar had come, and Blimey! ever since then there hadn't been none too much to be scratched up out o' them dust-bins--so he thought that as he had a bit o' cash he'd better send some to Marie, if it weren't more'n ten francs. I realised that he must be economising out of the little tips he got from me. I was much touched by his story, and promised to make inquiries. The matter would depend on the baggage-master. He did not put in an appearance just then. Bouillon asked me about the matter again. I mentioned it casually to Henriot who sent me to the captain. He greeted me affably, and I laid the matter before him. He called me back. He had learnt, he said, of my brother's death, and he expressed his sympathy for me. He added that he had watched me at work. "I'm glad to see you've been making yourself useful." As for the money order, he undertook to see that it got to its destination, solemnly took the girl's address, and handed me a receipt. When he got it, Bouillon turned it over and over, and asked me what it meant. The little sum had been doubled by me and doubled again by the captain. His tanned face contracted; and tears glistened in the corners of his big eyes. He stammered in his effort to thank me. "Oh! R-r-rooky!" I gave him a smack on the shoulder, and told him--and how sincerely I meant it--that we owed him a hundred times more! CHAPTER VII SOCIALISM Useful! I was making myself useful! The captain's words rang in my ears. I remembered how I had wondered quite lately what use my life was, and who in the world would have suffered by it, or missed me if I had disappeared. Instead of which I filled a place well, to-day. My death would have been a loss. I certainly exaggerated the importance of my rôle, but the satisfaction each evening of having kept intact or added to the strength which was given to me, was so sweet to me.