ar away to hear me, so instead of calling
to her I screamed,

"Jacques! Jacques! unless you are drowned, do answer me. Good Jacques,
dear Jacques, where are you?"

There was no reply; but the wind sighed in the trees, and the water
lapped softly on the margin of the pond. I began to have some fears of
my own. What if I should come suddenly upon the boy just as he was
sinking, the bubbles perhaps dancing up to the surface of the water?
Could I do anything to save him? could I swim? Alas! I could swim in a
bathing tank, with some one to hold up my chin. What should I do? would
my screams be heard half a mile away?

As I thought thus I again began beating the bushes, which were thick
along the edge of the water, and at the same moment a loud something,
neither a scream nor a groan, saluted my ears. I stood amazed; I could
not scream; and instantly a voice said:

"Ah, what a fine fellow I have lost! that was too bad!" and a scrubby
little head appeared above the bushes. "Is it you, ma'm'selle? I beg
pardon. I have caused you to be frightened; but you have caused me to
lose the finest frog in Brittany."

"Oh, Jacques! naughty Jacques!" I faltered, as well as my beating heart
would allow, "how could you serve us all in this way?"

"In what way, ma'm'selle?" replied the muddy creature, holding up a frog
he was in the act of skinning.

"Why, we thought--that is, we feared--or rather Suzette said, you meant
to drown yourself."

"I!" exclaimed this _gamin_, in the most innocent and artless manner.

"Yes, you. Did you not tell her so?"

"In a moment of excitement I may have uttered a careless expression,"
said the youth, peeling the frog's leg carefully. "Suzette is weak, like
all women--begging your pardon, ma'm'selle--she believes all that we men
say. She, in truth, irritated me, and I was cross. But I had promised
Monsieur le Cure that he should have a fine mess of frogs to-day, and it
was a good chance for me to get them; therefore I came to the pond, and
left Suzette to recover her composure."

I had recovered mine by this time, but I knew not whether to laugh or to
be angry; so I said, "Do you find your conscience tranquil when you
utter a falsehood?"

"Oh no, ma'm'selle, never; but this was a jest, done just to make
Suzette behave herself. She will not scold me again very soon." And with
that he strung his frogs together, slung them over his shoulder, and was
marching off.

"Come, come," said I, "you must g