rm. He appeared to be asleep. I leaned over him and took
his hand gently to wake him up. His hand was cold. Vitalis came into the
room. I turned to him.

"Pretty-Heart is cold," I said.

My master came to my side and also leaned over the bed.

"He is dead," he said. "It was to be. Ah, Remi, boy, I did wrong to take
you away from Mrs. Milligan. I am punished. Zerbino, Dulcie, and now
Pretty-Heart and ... this is not the end!"

CHAPTER XV

FAITHFUL FRIENDS

We were still a long way from Paris. We had to go by roads covered with
snow, and walk from morning till night, the north wind blowing in our
faces. How sad and weary were those long tramps.

Vitalis walked ahead, I at his heels, and Capi behind me. Thus in line
we went onward without exchanging a word, for hours and hours, faces
blue with cold, feet wet, stomachs empty. The people who passed us on
the way turned round to gaze at us. Evidently they thought it
strange.... Where was this old man leading his child and the dog?

The silence seemed terrible to me, and so sad. I would liked to have
talked just for company, but when I did venture to make a remark,
Vitalis replied briefly, without even turning his head. Fortunately,
Capi was more sociable, and as I trudged along I often felt his warm
tongue on my hand. He licked me as much as to say, "Your friend, Capi,
is here with you." Then I stroked him gently, without stopping. We
understood each other; we loved each other.

On the slippery snow we went straight ahead, without stopping, sleeping
at night in a stable or in a sheepfold, with a piece of bread, alas,
very small, for our meal in the evening. This was our dinner and supper
in one.

We did not tell the shepherds that we were dying of hunger, but Vitalis,
with his usual cleverness, would say insinuatingly that "the little chap
was very fond of sheep's milk, because, when he was a baby, he used to
drink it." This story did not always take effect, but it was a good
night for me when it did. Yes, I was very fond of sheep's milk and when
they gave me some I felt much stronger the next day.

It seemed strange to me that, as we neared Paris, the country ceased to
be beautiful. The snow was not white and dazzling now. I had heard what
a wonderful place Paris was, and I expected something extraordinary. I
did not know exactly what. I should not have been surprised to see trees
of gold, streets of marble, palaces everywhere.

What were we poor thing