h we have found it; we must
keep it honestly for the owner, should he ever come to claim it.'

"'Father,' said Jacques, 'I was not thinking, or I hope I should not
have said those words.'

"'I know you spoke hastily, Jacques,' replied Martin; and then having
given Margot a few little pieces of copper money as reward for her
giving up the little net to her grandmother, he took his venerable
parent by the hand, and led her into an inner room, where they settled
what was to be done with the purse.

"Martin said that the children must all be seriously enjoined never to
mention the subject, because many dishonest persons might, if they
could get at the description of the purse and its contents, come
forward to claim it, and thus it might be lost to the real owner.

"'But,' he added, 'lest I should be tempted to use any of the money for
myself, I will take the purse down to-morrow to the pastor's, and leave
it in his care. Where it is, however, must not be known even to the
children, lest we should bring inconvenience upon him. In the meantime,
dear mother, do you stow the treasure safely away, and charge the young
ones not to mention what we have found to anyone.'

"Martin then left the house; and Monique, going up to the room where
she slept, and where the great family chest was kept, called all her
grandchildren, and letting them see where she put the purse, she
charged them, one and all, not to speak one word to any person out of
the house about the treasure which had been found.

"'Why must not we, grandmother?' said Margot.

"'Because,' replied Monique, 'if any thieves were to hear that we had
got so much money in the house, they might come some time when your
father was out, and break open the chest and steal it.'

"'And perhaps they might kill us,' replied Margot, trembling all over.

"'We must not speak of it, then,' said Ella, 'to anyone.'

"'Our best way,' remarked Jacques, 'will be not to mention it to each
other. We will never speak of it.'

"'How can we help it?' said Meeta; 'I can never help talking of what I
am thinking about.'

"'That is a mistake of yours, Meeta,' said Monique; 'you never talk of
some things which happened at Vienne, which you think would be no
credit to you.'

"'You mean about our being so very poor, and being forced to sell our
clothes, grandmother? I don't think that I should go to talk of that to
strangers.'

"'Then you can keep some things to yourself, Meeta,' said Moni