she found Perrine seated before her fire upon which the soup was
boiling.

"I waited for you to mix the yolk of an egg in the soup," said Perrine.
"You have only to turn it with your free hand while I gently pour the
soup over it; the bread is soaked."

Although Rosalie had dressed herself specially for this dinner, she was
not afraid to help. This was play, and it all seemed very amusing to
her.

Soon the soup was ready, and it only had to be carried across to the
island. This Perrine did.

The cabin door was open, and Rosalie could see before she entered that
the place was filled with flowers. In each corner were grouped, in
artistic showers, wild roses, yellow iris, cornflowers, and poppies, and
the floor was entirely covered with a beautiful soft green moss.

Rosalie's exclamations of delight amply repaid Perrine for all the
trouble she had taken.

"How beautiful! Oh, isn't it pretty!" she exclaimed.

On a bed of fresh ferns two large flat leaves were placed opposite each
other; these were to serve for plates; and on a very much larger leaf,
long and narrow, which is as it should be for a dish, the perch was
placed, garnished with a border of watercress. Another leaf, but very
small, served as a salt-cellar, also another holding the dessert.
Between each dish was a white anemone, its pure whiteness standing out
dazzlingly against the fresh verdure.

"If you will sit down...." said Perrine, extending her hand. And when
they had taken their seats opposite one another the dinner commenced.

"How sorry I should have been if I hadn't have come," said Rosalie,
speaking with her mouth full; "it is so pretty and so good."

"Why shouldn't you have come?"

"Because they wanted to send me to Picquigny for Mr. Bendit; he is ill."

"What's the matter with him?"

"He's got typhoid fever. He's very ill. Since yesterday he hasn't known
what he's been talking about, and he doesn't know anybody. And I had an
idea about you...."

"Me! What about me?"

"Something you can do...."

"If there is anything I can do for Mr. Bendit I'd be only too willing.
He was kind to me; but I'm only a poor girl; I don't understand."

"Give me a little more fish and some more watercress, and I'll explain,"
said Rosalie. "You know that Mr. Bendit has charge of the foreign
correspondence; he translates the English and German letters. Naturally, as
he is off his head now, he can't translate. They wanted to get somebody
else to replace h