w without the list if she had not forgotten
something? And to forget one thing in a general confession they knew
was a mortal sin.

"I shall tell Madame Joubert! I shall tell Madame Joubert!"

"_Ma chere_!'" whispered the little ones outside. "Oh, but look at
them! _Elles font les quatre cents coups_!" which is equivalent to
"cutting up like the mischief."

And with reason. As if such an influx of the world upon them at this
moment were not sufficient of itself to damn them. But to tell Madame
Joubert! With all their dresses made and ready, wreaths, veils,
candles, prayer-books, picture-cards, mother-of-pearl prayer-beads,
and festival breakfasts with admiring family and friends prepared.
Tell Madame Joubert! She would simply cancel it all. In a body they
chorused:

"But, Pupasse!"

"_Chere_ Pupasse!"

"_Voyons_, Pupasse!"

"I assure you, Pupasse!"

"On the cross, Pupasse!"

"Ah, Pupasse!"

"We implore you, Pupasse!"

The only response--tears, and "I shall tell Madame Joubert."

Consultations, caucuses, individual appeals, general outbursts.
Pupasse stood in the corner. Curiously, she always sought refuge in
the very sanctum of punishment, her face hidden in her bended arms,
her hoops standing out behind, vouchsafing nothing but tears, and the
promise to tell Madame Joubert. And three o'clock approaching! And
Madame Joubert imminent! But Pupasse really could not go to confession
without her sins. They all recognized that; they were reasonable, as
they assured her.

A crisis quickens the wits. They heard the cathedral clock strike the
quarter to three. They whispered, suggested, argued--bunched in the
farthest corner from Pupasse.

"Console yourself, Pupasse! We will help you, Pupasse! Say no more
about it! We will help you!"

A delegate was sent to say that. She was only four feet and a half
high, and had to stand on tiptoe to pluck the six-foot Pupasse's dress
to gain her attention.

And they did help her generously. A new sheet of fool's-cap was
procured, and torn in two, lengthwise, and pinned in a long strip. One
by one, each little girl took it, and, retiring as far as possible,
would put her hand into her pocket, and, extracting her list, would
copy it in full on the new paper. Then she would fold it down, and
give it to the next one, until all had written.

"Here, Pupasse; here are all our sins. We give them to you; you can
have them."

Pupasse was radiant; she was more than delighted,