up to find Henri studying his face sympathetically.

"I did not mean to make you sad, little brother," declared the elder lad
softly. "The father and uncle will without doubt come again just as you
say. But must we not all be brave enough to look at things squarely and
with courage? Now that your father is gone to the war you have a man's
work to do. Surely you are going to meet life like a man, not as a
child. Forgive me if what I have said has hurt you."

With instant friendliness Pierre put out his hand.

"You have not hurt me," he returned quickly. "You have just set me to
thinking. I'm afraid I have been pretty thoughtless. My mother must have
had fears and have been worrying; yet so bravely has she kept it to
herself that she has shown Marie and me only her joyous side. I might
have helped her had I realized this before. She has always treated my
sister and me as children, keeping from us everything that was hard. But
I'll prove to her in future that I, at least, am no longer a child.
Thanks to you, Henri, I will go home to Bellerivre not only wiser about
silk-growing but wiser, I hope, about life."

"Perhaps, then, our talk has been fortunate," answered Henri, gazing
earnestly into the upturned face. "I hope so. And maybe some time you
will write to me and let me know how you are getting on. If I could ever
help you about your silk-raising I'd be glad to. There might be
something you'd like to ask. Henri St. Amant is my name, remember; and I
am always here at Pont-de-Saint-Michel."

With a cordial clasp of the hand the two boys parted.

Little did Pierre know what a loyal friend his chance acquaintance of
the morning was to prove.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER X

THE AWAKENING OF THE CHRYSALIS

When Pierre returned home he had much to tell his mother and Marie, you
may be sure, of his visit to Pont-de-Saint-Michel, and of the new friend
he had made at the Gaspard mills.

Now that the rush of handling the cocoons was over the days were not so
crowded, and although there was still plenty to keep the Bretton family
busy, Pierre and Marie resumed their normal routine of life, having
daily lessons with Monsieur le Cure, and aiding their mother in the
regular round of household tasks. There was a thorough cleaning of the
silk-house that it might be in readiness for the coming season; then
there was the money from the cocoons, the wonderful shining francs which
the family had earned together, to be inve