"Hark! Hark! It seems to me I hear a voice calling--" "Alas! mother, some misfortune threatens our house--you said it--" "Roselyk, my child, do not add fuel to your mother's fright. What is there astonishing in a traveler calling from without to have the door opened to him--" "His cries are not human--I am frozen with fear--" "You come with me, Kervan, seeing that your mother wishes to keep Karadeucq near her. Although this is a quiet neighborhood, hand me my 'pen-bas,' and take yours along, my boy." "My husband, my son, I conjure you, do not go out--" "Dear wife, suppose some stranger is outside in such weather as this! Come Kervan!" "Alas! I tell you the cries that I heard are not human. Kervan! Jocelyn! They will not listen--they are gone--Alas! Alas!" "My father and brother go out to face danger, and I remain here--" "Do not stamp your feet that way, bad boy! You are the cause of all this evil with your impious wishes--" "Calm yourself, Madalen--and you, my pet, do not put on, if you please, the air of a wild colt that seeks to snap his reins; just obey your mother." "I hear steps--they are drawing near--Oh! grandfather!" "Well, my dear Roselyk, why tremble? What is there frightful in the steps that are approaching? Good--do you hear them laughing aloud? Are you now at ease?" "Laughing!--on such a night!" "It is frightful to hear, is it not, my sweet Roselyk, especially when the laughers are your own father and brother? Well--here they are. Well, my children?" "The misfortune that threatened our house--" "The cries that were not human--" "Will you be done laughing? Just look at them! The father is as crazy as the son! Will you speak?" "The great misfortune is a poor peddler who lost his way--" "The voice that was not human was his voice--" And father and son laughed merrily, it must be admitted, like people who are happy to find their apprehensions unfounded. The mother's fears, however, were not so quickly allayed; she did not join the laughter; but both the boys, the girl and even Jocelyn himself, all cried out joyously: "A peddler! A peddler!" "He has pretty ribbons and fine needles." "Iron for arrows, strings for bows, scissors to clip the sheep." "Nets for fishing, seeing that he comes to the seashore." "He will tell us the news of outlying places." "But where is he? Where is the good peddler that Hesus sends to us to help enliven this long winter's night?" "What a happiness to be able to see all his merchandise at one's ease!" "But where is he? Where is he?" "He is shaking off the ice that his clothes are frozen stiff with." "Good mother, now see the misfortune that threatened us because I wished to see a Korrigan!" "Be still, son! To-morrow rests with God!" "Here is the peddler! Here he is!" CHAPTER III. HEVIN THE PEDDLER.