think, indeed, that Mademoiselle
Eugenie will call here no more. She suspects that we helped to make
the child discontented. I am thankful that _we_ have no such
unpleasant matters in _our_ establishment. We have always had an
excellent reputation!" and the sisters congratulated each other for
some time on the successful way in which they had always arranged
matters for _their_ boarders.

It was while her sister was still in this pleasant mood of
self-satisfaction that Mademoiselle Loire proposed to go to St. Sauveur
(a little town about twelve miles away), and collect the rent from one
or two houses they owned there. As Mademoiselle Therese talked English
best, and had the care of the English visitors, she had most of the
pleasant excursions, so that Barbara was quite glad to think the elder
sister was now to have a turn. Marie always went to St. Sauveur with
her aunt, as she had a cousin living in the town, with whom they
usually dined in the evening; and an invitation was graciously given to
Barbara to accompany them both.

The girl often thought, in making these excursions here and there, how
nice it would have been could she have shared them with her mother and
the children; and then she used to make up her mind more firmly than
ever that she would begin teaching French directly she got home, so
that some day she could help to give the pleasure to Frances that her
aunt was giving to her.

Donald had written on one occasion, that in view of so many excursions
he wondered when the work came in; to which she had replied that it was
_all_ work, as she had to talk French hard the whole time! And,
indeed, a day never passed without her getting in her lesson and some
grammatical work, though it sometimes had to come before breakfast or
after supper.

On this occasion they were to start very early, as Mademoiselle Loire
explained that they would stop for a little while at a wayside inn,
where an old nurse of theirs had settled down. It was therefore
arranged to drive so far, and take the train the rest of the way, and
Barbara, who had heard a great deal about "the carriage," pictured to
herself a little pony and trap, and was looking forward to the drive
immensely. What was her astonishment, therefore, when she saw drawn up
before the door next day, a little spring cart with a brown donkey in
it.

"The carriage!" she gasped, and hastily climbed into the cart lest
Mademoiselle Loire should see her face. They