On Luc's side of the wall, Nanet, who daily returned to La Crêcherie in search of playmates, stood beside Lucien and Antoinette Bonnaire, whom he had doubtless persuaded to accompany him on some terrible lizard hunt. All three of them stood there with upturned faces, laughing and calling, whilst on the other side of the wall, other children who could not be seen were laughing and calling also. It was easy to understand that Nise Delaveau had had some young friends to lunch, and that the party on being dismissed to the garden had heard the calls of those outside it, one and all becoming eager to see each other, join hands, and amuse themselves together. Unfortunately, the former doorway had been walled up, for their elders had grown tired of scolding them. At Delaveau's the children were even forbidden to go to the bottom of the garden, and were punished if they were found doing so; whilst at La Crêcherie there were many efforts to make them understand that their disobedience might bring about some unpleasant affair, complaints, and even a lawsuit. But, like artless young creatures yielding to the unknown forces of the future, they continued meeting and mingling, fraternising together in total forgetfulness of all class rancour and hostility. Shrill, pure, and crystalline voices continued rising, almost suggesting the notes of skylarks. 'Is that you, Nise? Good day, Nise!' 'Good day, Nanet! Are you by yourself, Nanet?' 'Oh, no! I'm with Lucien and Antoinette! And you, Nise, are you alone?' 'Oh! no, no, I'm with Louise and Paul! Good day, good day, Nanet!' 'Good day, good day, Nise!' At each 'good day,' again and again repeated, came peals of laughter, so amused did they feel at talking together without seeing one another. 'I say, Nise, are you still there?' 'Why, yes, Nanet, I'm still here.' 'Nise, Nise, listen! Are you coming?' 'Oh, Nanet, how can I, since the door's walled up?' 'Jump, jump, Nise, jump, my little Nise!' 'Nanet, my little Nanet, jump, jump!' Then came perfect delirium, all six of them repeated 'jump, jump!' whilst dancing before the wall, as if indeed they imagined that by bounding higher and higher they would at last find themselves together. They turned and waltzed, and bowed to the pitiless wall, and with that childish power of imagination which suppresses all obstacles played as if they could really see one another. At last a flute-like voice again arose. 'Listen, Nise! do you know what?' 'No, Nanet, I don't know.' 'Well, I'm going to get on the wall, and I'll pull you up by the shoulders and get you over here.' 'Oh! that's it, Nanet, that's it! Climb up!' In a trice Nanet, clinging to the stone wall with hands and feet, as agile as a cat, found himself on the top of the wall. And as he sat there, bestriding it, he looked quite comical, with his big round head, his large blue eyes, and his tumbled fair hair. He was already fourteen, but he remained little, though very strong and resolute.