a good chance for her to help herself. In the first place the
eggs were fresh, and then if she only took five or six, the duck, who
did not know how to count, would not notice that any one had been there.

A short time ago Perrine would not have had any scruples and she would
have quickly emptied the nest, without a thought, but the sorrows that
she had experienced had made her very thoughtful for the griefs of
others; in this same manner her love for Palikare had made her feel an
affection for all animals that she had not known in her early childhood.

After she had taken the eggs she wondered where she could cook them;
naturally this could not be done in the cabin for the slightest wreath
of smoke which would emerge from it would indicate to anyone who saw it
that someone was living there.

There was a gypsy camp quite near which she passed by to get to her
island, and a little smoke coming from there would attract no attention.

She quickly got together some wood and lighted it; soon she had a fire
in the ashes of which she cooked one of her eggs. She lacked an egg cup
but what did that matter? A little hole made in a piece of bread could
hold the egg. In a few minutes she had the satisfaction of dipping a
piece of bread in her egg, which was cooked to perfection. It seemed to
her as she took the first mouthful that she had never eaten anything so
good.

When she had finished her supper she wondered how she should use the
remainder of her eggs. She would have to use them sparingly for she
might not be able to get any more for a long time. A hot soup with an
egg broken into it would be very good.

As the idea of having some soup came into her head, it was almost
immediately followed by the regret that she could not have it. The
success of her canvas shoes and her underwear had inspired her with a
certain amount of confidence. She had proved that one can do a great
deal if one perseveres, but she had not enough confidence to imagine
that she could ever make a saucepan for her soup or a metal or wooden
spoon, and if she waited until she had the money required to buy these
utensils, she would have to content herself with the smell of the soup
that came to her as she passed by the open doors.

She was telling herself this as she went to work, but just before she
reached the village she saw a heap of rubbish by the side of the road
and amongst the debris she noticed some tin cans which had been used for
potted meat,