ought her yesterday from the Jew Mordecai.... You are to
teach her to polish jewelry; our holy abbess wishes to keep her near her
for that work. Within a month at the latest, she must be versed in her
work; if not, both she and you shall be punished."

At these words Septimine trembled and took courage to raise her eyes to
the old man, who stepped forward and said to her kindly: "Do not be
afraid, my child; with a little good will on your part, we shall be able
to teach you how to polish jewelry and meet the wishes of our holy
abbess. You shall work there, near me."

For the first time in several days did the features of the young girl
express sentiments other than those of fear and sadness. She timidly
raised her eyes to Bonaik, and, struck by the kindness of his face,
answered him in an accent of profound gratitude: "Oh! Thank you, good
father! Thank you for being kind to me!"

While the apprentices were exchanging in a low voice their views on the
looks of their new shopmate, Ricarik, who carried a little casket under
his arm, said to the old man: "I bring you here the gold and silver with
which to fashion the belt that you know of, and also the Greek vase. Our
dame Meroflede is anxious to have the two articles."

"Ricarik, I told you before that the stuff that you brought me in bits
and in gold and silver sous is not enough. It is all in that iron trunk
whose key you hold. Moreover, in order to make one of those beautiful
belts, similar to those that I saw manufactured in the workshops that
the illustrious Eloi established, about twenty pearls and as many other
precious stones will be needed."

"I have in this purse and this casket all the gold, silver and precious
stones that you will need," saying which, Ricarik emptied out the
contents of a purse upon the old goldsmith's work-bench, and took out of
the casket a sufficient number of gold sous, several twisted lumps also
of gold, that looked as if they had been forcibly wrenched from some
article that they had served as ornament to, and finally a gold
reliquary studded with precious stones. "Have you now enough gold and
stones?"

"I think so; these stones are superb; the reliquary is ornamented with
matchless rubies."

"This reliquary was presented to our holy abbess; it contains a thumb of
St. Loup, of the great St. Loup, and two teeth from his jaw."

"Ricarik, after I shall have detached the rubies and melted the gold of
the reliquary, what am I then to