other by the hand, their eyes downcast and full
of tears.

The little girl fingered the corner of the apron of coarse cloth
covering her petticoat of whitish cloth rayed with wide black stripes;
the young boy convulsively grasped his cap of brown wool. They stopped
at the foot of the staircase.

"These are the children of the farmer James," said a voice.

"Very well! and the ten hens, and the three sacks of wheat, and the one
hundred crowns from your father?" said the reverend man severely.

The two poor children pressed against each other, nudging one another
with the elbow, as an encouragement to answer.

Finally the young boy, having more resolution, raised his noble,
handsome face, which his coarse garments rendered still more remarkable,
and sadly said to the monk: "Our father has been very ill for two
months; our mother is taking care of him--there is no money in the
house; we have been obliged to take the wheat and the rent to support
the day laborer and his wife who takes my father's place in the farm
work, and then it has been necessary to sell the hens to pay the
doctor."

"It is always the same story when tenants fail in their rents," said the
monk roughly. "James was a good and punctual farmer; this is how he
spoils all, just like the others; but in the interests of the abbey as
well as in his own, we will not let him wander into the bad way." Then,
addressing himself to the children, he added severely: "The
father-treasurer will consider this--wait there."

The two children withdrew into an obscure corner of the shed. The young
girl seated herself, weeping, on a bench; her brother stood near her,
looking at his sister with gloomy sadness.

The roll-call finished, the monks re-entered the abbey, the peasants
regained the horses and carts which had brought them, the two children
remained alone in the court, waiting with sad disquietude the decision
of the treasurer with regard to their father.

A new personage appeared at the gate of the little court. This was a
tall old man with large, white mustache and neglected beard; he walked
with difficulty with the help of a wooden leg, and wore a uniform-coat
of green with an orange-colored collar; a wallet of leather slung on his
back carried his modest baggage; he supported himself on a thick cane
made from the dogwood tree, and on his head was a big Hungarian cap of
black worn fur, which descending to his eyebrows, gave him the most
savage air in the wo