the little house on wheels, where I found a mattress that proved
a most acceptable rest; and then we drove slowly and quietly off, and
gradually got among fields and hedges.

"How are you getting on?" said La Croissette, at length. "Do you mind
the shaking?"

"Oh," said I, "I have so many things on my mind that I take no thought
for the body."

"All the better; though some say that pain of the mind is the worst to
bear of the two."

"I have little doubt of it," said I, "though each are bad enough. But
all I meant was that my mind is preoccupied and anxious, and prevents
my noticing any mere discomforts; for I cannot say I am miserable."

"Indeed I think you ought not to be, for you have had an escape from
that troubled city that many would rejoice at."

"Tell me truly; do you think I have actually escaped?"

"What know I? You have escaped from the evils behind; you may not
escape from the evils before. Yesterday was cloudy, to-morrow may be
rainy, the day after may be fine; none of us knows. At least there is a
weather-prophet at Arles whom some of the fools believe in; but he broke
his leg a little while ago, and his spirit of prophecy did not enable
him to foresee that, therefore I doubt his knowing about the weather."

"There have always been those who dealt in lying signs and wonders,"
said I, "from the days of Moses, when the magicians feigned to change
their rods into serpents, which of course they could not do really."

"They were clever at sleight-of-hand, I suppose," said La Croissette.
"So is Doctor Jameray. He can do many wonderful things. I can do some
of them myself. You see, some of his conjuring tricks require a second
person, who must not be known for his assistant; so that when he sets
out on his tours through the provinces, I generally do the same, and
contrive to cross his path, as if by accident. Then we play off on a
new set of people the tricks we have played twenty times before in
other places."

"Then needle-selling is only a blind?" said I.

"I turn a little money by it; the more, that I am careful always to sell
the best needles and pins. Thus I have acquired a name--the housewives
trust me; I have a character to support. And my character supports me."

"A good character always does so in the long run," said I.

"Well, I don't know what to say about that. You are too young to have
any authority of weight. It must be your father's wisdom, and I am not
sure it will stand the test."