nderstand.

"My son would like to see your actors nearer."

I made a sign to Capi. With delight, he sprang onto the boat.

"And the others!" cried the little boy.

Zerbino and Dulcie followed Capi's example.

"And the monkey!"

Pretty-Heart could have easily made the jump, but I was never sure of
him. Once on board he might do some tricks that certainly would not be
to the lady's taste.

"Is he spiteful?" she asked.

"No, madam, but he is not always obedient, and I am afraid that he will
not behave himself."

"Well, bring him on yourself."

She signed to a man who stood near the rail. He came forward and threw a
plank across to the bank. With my harp on my shoulder and Pretty-Heart
in my arms I stepped up the plank.

"The monkey! the monkey!" cried the little boy, whom the lady addressed
as Arthur.

I went up to him and, while he stroked and petted Pretty-Heart, I
watched him. He was strapped to a board.

"Have you a father, my child?" asked the lady.

"Yes, but I am alone just now."

"For long?"

"For two months."

"Two months! Oh, poor little boy. At your age how is it that you happen
to be left all alone?"

"It has to be, madam."

"Does your father make you take him a sum of money at the end of two
months? Is that it?"

"No, madam, he does not force me to do anything. If I can make enough to
live with my animals, that is all."

"And do you manage to get enough?"

I hesitated before replying. I felt a kind of awe, a reverence for this
beautiful lady. Yet she talked to me so kindly and her voice was so
sweet, that I decided to tell her the truth. There was no reason why I
should not. Then I told her how Vitalis and I had been parted, that he
had gone to prison because he had defended me, and how since he had gone
I had been unable to make any money.

While I was talking, Arthur was playing with the dogs, but he was
listening to what I said.

"Then how hungry you all must be!" he cried.

At this word, which the animals well knew, the dogs began to bark and
Pretty-Heart rubbed his stomach vigorously.

"Oh, Mamma!" cried Arthur.

The lady said a few words in a strange language to a woman, whose head I
could see through a half open door. Almost immediately the woman
appeared with some food.

"Sit down, my child," said the lady.

I did so at once. Putting my harp aside I quickly sat down in the chair
at the table; the dogs grouped themselves around me. Pretty-Heart jumped
on my knee