y upstairs, and the
servant was asleep close to it.

But Madame Caravan grew thoughtful, as if she were pre-occupied by
something, which she did not care to mention, but at last she said:

"Your mother had given you her clock, had she not; the girl playing at
cup and ball?"

He thought for a moment, and then replied:

"Yes, yes; she said to me (but it was a long time ago, when she first
came here): 'I shall leave the clock to you, if you look after me well.'"

Madame Caravan was reassured, and regained her serenity, and said:

"Well, then, you must go and fetch it out of her room, for if we get your
sister here, she will prevent us from having it."

He hesitated.

"Do you think so?..."

That made her angry.

"I certainly think so; as soon as it is in our possession, she will know
nothing at all about where it came from; it belongs to us. It is just the
same with the chest of drawers with the marble top, that is in her room;
she gave it me one day when she was in a good temper. We will bring it
down at the same time."

Caravan, however, seemed incredulous, and said:

"But, my dear, it is a great responsibility!"

She turned on him furiously.

"Oh! Indeed! Will you never alter? You would let your children die of
hunger, rather than make a move. Does not that chest of drawers belong to
us, as she gave it to me? And if your sister is not satisfied, let her
tell me so, me! I don't care a straw for your sister. Come, get up, and
we will bring down what your mother gave us, immediately."

Trembling and vanquished, he got out of bed, and began to put on his
trousers, but she stopped him:

"It is not worth while to dress yourself; your drawers are quite enough;
I mean to go as I am."

They both left the room in their night clothes, went upstairs quite
noiselessly, opened the door and went into the room, where the four
lighted tapers and the plate with the sprig of box alone seemed to be
watching the old woman in her rigid repose; for Rosalie, who was lying
back in the easy chair with her legs stretched out, her hands folded in
her lap, and her head on one side, was also quite motionless, and was
snoring with her mouth wide open.

Caravan took the clock, which was one of those grotesque objects that
were produced so plentifully under the Empire. A girl in gilt bronze was
holding a cup and ball, and the ball formed the pendulum.

"Give that to me," his wife said, "and take the marble top off the chest
of d