Husband and wife would have shared the panic could they have known what had taken place in the little _talon_ on that December day, and how nearly it brought M. Deshoulieres and Therese together. Perhaps Nannon guessed. She was a shrewd old woman. Therese was young and scarcely able to conceal her feelings; so there was a soft bright expression in her face which Nannon had never before noticed. She came slowly up the stairs and into the room where the holes were being mended for her without saying any thing, and looked out of the window with eyes which saw a great deal more than the crowded roofs, or even the broad flat plain beyond. "Mademoiselle might give an opinion," Nannon said at last, affronted. Therese started, turned round, went quickly to her, and gratefully kissed the old brown wrinkled cheek. "Do you know what you are like?" she said. "You are like one of the fairies who used to come to the help of the poor princesses who were shut up in terrible towers, and forced to do all kinds of hateful work. I don't believe one of them had a worse hole than that to mend." "I don't know about fairies," answered Nannon, shaking her head doubtfully; "but, if they are evil spirits, it is not very polite of you, mademoiselle, to call me one." The girl laughed. "If you lived in the north you would know more about fairies; but here, in this ugly flat country, there is not so much as a bush for them to hide behind. _Allons_, don't be cross, Nannon; not even Rouen has a cathedral like yours. I am going there now; will you come?" "What has happened?" thought the old woman to herself. Therese had not laughed so gayly for many a week past.