sport his pupil to a wider stage, when an epidemic
broke out in the village, and the girl was left alone in the world.

The "Good Sisters" offered her a home in the convent, but she had always
been accustomed to the open air, to flowers that nodded a welcome to her
as she passed, and to sunshine, and was afraid of the cloister, of its
dimness, and of watchful eyes.

She finally took her departure, and begged her way to Paris. Some one
gave her an old guitar that had been left behind by some wanderer, which
the child had gazed at with longing eyes. She escaped the many snares
that were laid for her, and finally found shelter in a house where only
the very poor lived, but they were all honest, industrious people. She
obtained the necessary permission to sing on the street, and then had
another idea. In the part of the city where she lived there was a great
deal of poverty, and she undertook the care of a poor woman, she was so
confident in her ability to make money.

"But the person you propose to take care of has been dreadfully
disfigured, and is unpleasant to look upon," said one of the neighbors.

The child asked to be told all that was known of the unfortunate
creature.

She had been found among the mountains long before, and the people who
had found her were dead, but she was still taken care of by these kind,
good creatures who, however, found the burthen a heavy one.

Francine went to see this poor creature. There was a long silence, the
girl seemed to hesitate, then, suddenly, she stooped and kissed her.

"Will you go with me, mamma?" she said.

Why did she use the word mamma? She could not have told herself, and yet
this woman was really her mother. Yes, this unfortunate, this mad woman
was Francoise, the wife of Simon. After the agony of that fearful night,
she lost her memory and her reason. She did not know how she had
escaped, and yet she was here and restored to her child. Fate had
brought the two together. Mother and daughter were alike victims of the
Talizacs.

Francine took this woman, whom she had volunteered to support, and
installed her next her own room. Day and night she watched over her with
a solicitude that was absolutely filial.

The elder woman was happy only when Cinette was with her, and when the
girl was away, she repeated the name over and over.

Francine worked hard. She now had her regular audiences, and could be
heard at certain places at certain hours. Her programmes were re