must have money to keep the little
Helene. She is so beautiful and so tender."

"Who is Helene?" inquired Barbara; and at the question the boy's face
glowed with pride and pleasure.

"I will bring her to you, ma'm'selle; she is now in the garden. She is
with me while I am at home."

He shuffled off, and returned in a few minutes with a little girl in
his arms: so pretty a child that Barbara marvelled at the contrast
between them.

"She is not like me, hein?" he asked, laughing. "Helene, greet the
lady," and Barbara held out both hands to the little girl, who, after a
long stare, ran across to her. In amusing her and being herself
amused, Barbara forgot the reason of her visit, and only remembered it
when the little girl asked her brother suddenly if he would fetch her a
roll that evening.

The boy looked uncomfortable. "Not to-night," he hastened to say, "but
the mama, she will bring you something to-night for supper. I used to
bring her a white roll on my way home from the baths," he explained to
Barbara.

"May I give her one to-night?" the girl asked quickly, putting her hand
into her pocket. "I would like to."

But the boy shook his head. "No, no, the mama would not like it--the
first time you were in the house. Some other time, if ma'm'selle does
us the honour to come again."

"Of course I will. I want to see how you get on at St. Malo or
Parame," she said, "and whether Helene's doll gets better from the
measles."

"Or whether she grows wings," put in Helene in waving her hand in
farewell.

Barbara was very thoughtful on her way back, and before reaching the
house, she had determined to give up her riding for the present. One
more excursion she would have, in which to say good-bye to Monsieur
Pirenne, who had been very kind to her; but it seemed rather selfish to
use up any more of the liberal fund which her aunt had supplied her
with for that purpose. After all, it was hard that the bath-boy,
through her fault, could not even supply his little sister with rolls
for her supper.

Mademoiselle Therese was somewhat surprised at the sudden decision, and
perhaps a little annoyed by it, for she had grown accustomed to the
trips to Dinard, and would miss them greatly. Monsieur Pirenne was
also disturbed, because he feared "Mademoiselle had grown tired of his
_manege_." Barbara assured him to the contrary, and tried to satisfy
them both with explanations which were as satisfactory as such can b