I am seeking
lodgings for my mother and sister and myself, and had hoped Madame
Lestrange could have helped me."

"The top floor is vacant," said the woman, brightening up, for the
calamity of the day had robbed her of her tenants, "to any one who can
pay five francs a week."

"We can do that," said I, "and can pay you in advance."

"Enough," said the woman, holding out her hand greedily.

I brought the ladies up, breaking the news about their kinsfolk on the
way, and imploring them to keep up appearances. The landlady
scrutinised them sharply, and demanded what their occupation was.

"We are seamstresses, my child and I," said my lady; "and my son earns
what he can at the stables."

"If you are good workers," said the woman, "I can give you some employ.
Come up and see your rooms."

It was a sad introduction, that of these delicate ladies to the squalid
apartments of their arrested kinsfolk. But they kept up bravely; only
when the woman departed with her first five francs in her hand, they
fell on the little shabby sofa and broke into tears.

But miserable as we were, we were at least safe for a while; and as the
weeks followed one another--terrible weeks for Paris--we grew not only
more reconciled to our lot, but sometimes almost happy.

We gave ourselves the name of Regnier, and in a little time our sour
landlady fulfilled her promise of finding work for the ladies' needles.
As for me, I lit on occupation close by, with a man who let horses for
hire, and here once more I found myself engaged in the old familiar
occupation of the Knockowen days. The ladies rarely ventured out, and
when they did it was usually after dark, and always under my escort.

Somehow or other our common lot, the common garb we wore, and the common
dependence we felt on one another, made our make-believe little family
into something very like a real one. When the day's work was done, and
the candle was lit and the log thrown on the fire, it was hard not to
forget that I was after all only a poor serving-man to these two ladies.
They were so grateful and gentle to me, and my little lady's eyes, when
sometimes they met mine, were wont to light up so brightly, that, had I
been less strict with myself, I should have been--tempted, many a time,
to presume on all this kindness, and give myself the airs and privileges
of an equal. But Heaven kept me in mind of what was due to her; and
though I loved her secretly, she was always my litt