e that she wanted to see me at Dreuzy, but pointing her finger in
three directions, she made me understand that I must first go and see
her brothers and sister.

"You want me first to go to Varses, then Esnandes and then
Saint-Quentin?"

She smiled and nodded, pleased that I understood.

"Why?"

Then with her lips and hands, and above all with her eyes, she explained
to me why she wished this. She wanted me to go and see her sister and
brothers first, so that when I reached Dreuzy I could tell her news of
them. They had to start at eight o'clock, and Aunt Catherine had ordered
a cab to take them, first of all to the prison to say good-by to their
father, and then each, with their baggage, to the different depots where
they had to take their trains. At seven o'clock Etiennette, in her turn,
took me in the garden.

"I want to give you a little keepsake, Remi," she said. "Take this
little case; my godfather gave it to me. You'll find thread, needles and
scissors in it; when you are tramping along the roads you'll need them,
for I shan't be there to put a patch on your clothes, nor sew a button
on. When you use my scissors, think of us all."

While Etiennette was speaking to me, Alexix loitered near; when she left
me to return to the house, he came up.

"Say, Remi," he began, "I've got two five franc pieces. Take one; I'll
be so pleased if you will."

Of the five of us, Alexix was the only one who cared very much for
money. We always made fun of his greed; he saved up sou by sou, counting
his hoard continually, he was always very proud when he had a brand new
piece. His offer touched me to the heart; I wanted to refuse, but he
insisted, and slipped a shiny silver piece into my hand. I knew that his
friendship for me must be very strong if he were willing to share his
treasure with me.

Benjamin, neither, had forgotten me; he also wanted to give me a
present. He gave me his knife, and in exchange he exacted a sou, because
he said "a knife cuts friendship."

The time passed quickly. The moment had come for us to part. As the cab
was drawing up at the house, Lise again made a sign for me to follow her
into the garden.

"Lise!" called her aunt.

She made no reply, but ran quickly down the path. She stopped at a big
Bengal rose tree and cut off a branch, then, turning to me, she divided
the stalk in two; there was a rose on either side. The language of the
lips is a small thing compared with the language of the e