y was delicious, and yes, it was fine, oh, so fine not to be
hungry, nor tired, nor too hot, nor too cold, but in justice to myself,
I must say that it was the kindness and love of this lady and this
little boy that I felt the most. Twice I had been torn from those I
loved, ... first from dear Mother Barberin, and then from Vitalis. I was
left with only the dogs and the monkey, hungry and footsore, and then a
beautiful lady, with a child of about my own age, had taken me in and
treated me as though I were a brother.

Often, as I looked at Arthur strapped to his bench, pale and drawn, I
envied him, I, so full of health and strength, envied the little sick
boy. It was not the luxuries that surrounded him that I envied, not the
boat. It was his mother. Oh, how I wanted a mother of my own! She kissed
him, and he was able to put his arms around her whenever he
wished,--this lady whose hand I scarcely dared touch when she held it
out to me. And I thought sadly that I should never have a mother who
would kiss me and whom I could kiss. Perhaps one day I should see Mother
Barberin again, and that would make me very happy, but I could not call
her mother now, for she was not my mother....

I was alone.... I should always be alone.... Nobody's boy.

I was old enough to know that one should not expect to have too much
from this world, and I thought that, as I had no family, no father or
mother, I should be thankful that I had friends. And I was happy, so
happy on that barge. But, alas! it was not to last long. The day was
drawing near for me to take up my old life again.

CHAPTER XII

THE MASTER'S CONSENT

It was all to end,--this beautiful trip that I had made on the barge. No
nice bed, no nice pastry, no evenings listening to Mrs. Milligan. Ah! no
Mrs. Milligan or Arthur!

One day I decided to ask Mrs. Milligan how long it would take me to get
back to Toulouse. I wanted to be waiting at the prison door when my
master came out. When Arthur heard me speak of going back, he began to
cry.

"I don't want him to go! I don't want Remi to go," he sobbed.

I told him that I belonged to Vitalis, and that he had paid a sum of
money for me, and that I must return to him the moment he wanted me. I
had spoken of my foster parents, but had never said that they were not
really my father and mother. I felt ashamed to admit that I was a
foundling,--a child picked up in the streets! I knew how the children
from the Foundlings' Ho