isterly counsellor and
affectionate under-teacher. Towards four o'clock Madame Bayard had the
two children, whom the nurse had brought back to the store, placed near
her in the glass office; and Norine, opening a copy-book or a book,
explained to Leon the uncomprehended task or made him repeat the lesson
that he had not understood.

"The good God has rewarded us," Madame Bayard sometimes whispered to her
husband in the evening. "That little Norine is a treasure, and so good,
so industrious! Only to-day I listened to her helping Leon again. I
believe that without her he would never have learned the
multiplication-table."

"I believe you, Mimi," responded Bayard. "I have observed it. Things go
on marvellously well with us, and we will portion her and marry her,
shall we not, when she comes to a suitable age?"

IV.

Age comes--ah, how fast age comes! And behold! now in the glass cage of
the shop there is a slender and beautiful young girl sitting at the side
of Madame Bayard, who already shows some silver threads in her black
bands. It is Norine now who writes in the great ledger with leather
corners, while her adopted mother plies her needles on some embroidery.

Seven o'clock! Time that they came home, and the shop must be closed
against the November wind which is twisting and turning the flames of
the gas-jets.

Look at them now: Bayard grown stout, portly, and covered with trinkets,
while Leon, who has just entered the first class in pharmacy, has
actually become a fine-looking young fellow.

"Good-day, Mimi; good-day, Norine! Let us go right in to dinner. I will
tell you all the news while we are eating the soup," said the druggist.

They went up to the dining-room, and while Madame Bayard, sitting under
a barometer in the shape of a lyre, served the thick soup, Bayard,
tucking his napkin in his vest and regarding his wife with a knowing
look, said,

"You know it is all right."

"The Forgets agree?"

"Exactly; and Leon will espouse Hortense in six months, and our
daughter-in-law will come and live with us. Yes, Norine, you have known
nothing about it, because one does not speak of such things before young
girls; but for more than a year Leon has been in love with Hortense
Forget, and has been teasing us to arrange the marriage--not such a
difficult thing after all, since it only required a word. Leon is a good
catch. The only difficulty was that we wanted to keep our son with us.
At last it is all arr