such a hard struggle took
place within him, especially as he was ashamed of his weakness, and
tried to conceal his distress from little Marie, that the perspiration
stood out on his forehead and his eyes were bordered with red as if
they, too, were all ready to shed tears. Finally, he tried to be angry;
but as he turned to little Marie, as if to call her to witness his
firmness of will, he saw that the dear girl's face was bathed in tears,
and, all his courage deserting him, it was impossible for him to keep
back his own, although he continued to scold and threaten.

"Really, your heart is too hard," said little Marie at last, "and for my
part, I could never hold out like that against a child who is so
unhappy. Come, Germain, take him along. Your mare is used to carrying
two grown people and a child, for your brother-in-law and his wife, who
is much heavier than I am, go to market every Saturday, with their boy,
on the honest creature's back. You can put him up in front of you;
indeed, I'd rather go all alone on foot than make the little fellow
suffer so."

"Don't be disturbed about that," said Germain, who was dying with
anxiety to be persuaded. "Grise is strong, and would carry two more if
there was room on her backbone. But what shall we do with the child on
the way? he will be cold and hungry--and who will look after him
to-night and to-morrow, put him to bed, wash him and dress him? I don't
dare put that trouble on a woman whom I don't know, and who will think,
I have no doubt, that I stand very little on ceremony with her for a
beginning."

"According to the good-will or annoyance she shows, you will be able to
judge her at once, Germain, believe me; and at all events, if she
doesn't take to your Pierre, I will take charge of him. I will go to her
house to dress him, and I'll take him into the fields to-morrow. I'll
amuse him all day, and see that he has all he needs."

"And he'll tire you out, my poor girl! He'll be a burden to you! a whole
day--that's a long while!"

"On the contrary, I shall enjoy it; he will be company for me, and make
me less unhappy the first day I shall have to pass in a new country. I
shall fancy I am still at home."

The child, seeing that little Marie was taking his part, had clung to
her skirt and held it so tight that she would have had to hurt him to
take it away. When he saw that his father was yielding, he took Marie's
hand in both his little sunburned ones and kissed it, le