rin.

"Yes, go out into the yard at the back, but don't move or you'll have me
to reckon with."

I could not but obey. I went into the yard, but I had no heart to play.
I sat down on a big stone and waited. They were deciding what was to
become of me. What would it be? They talked for a long time. I sat
waiting, and it was an hour later when Barberin came out into the yard.
He was alone. Had he come to fetch me to hand me over to Vitalis?

"Come," he said, "back home."

Home! Then I was not to leave Mother Barberin?

I wanted to ask questions, but I was afraid, because he seemed in a
very bad temper. We walked all the way home in silence. But just before
we arrived home Barberin, who was walking ahead, stopped.

"You know," he said, taking me roughly by the ear, "if you say one
single word of what you have heard to-day, you shall smart for it.
Understand?"

CHAPTER IV

THE MATERNAL HOUSE

"Well," asked Mother Barberin, when we entered, "what did the mayor
say?"

"We didn't see him."

"How! You didn't see him?"

"No, I met some friends at the Notre-Dame cafe and when we came out it
was too late. So we'll go back to-morrow."

So Barberin had given up the idea of driving a bargain with the man with
the dogs.

On the way home I wondered if this was not some trick of his, returning
to the house, but his last words drove all my doubts away. As we had to
go back to the village the next day to see the mayor, it was certain
that Barberin had not accepted Vitalis' terms.

But in spite of his threats I would have spoken of my fears to Mother
Barberin if I could have found myself alone for one moment with her, but
all the evening Barberin did not leave the house, and I went to bed
without getting the opportunity. I went to sleep thinking that I would
tell her the next day. But the next day when I got up, I did not see
her. As I was running all round the house looking for her, Barberin saw
me and asked me what I wanted.

"Mamma."

"She has gone to the village and won't be back till this afternoon."

She had not told me the night before that she was going to the village,
and without knowing why, I began to feel anxious. Why didn't she wait
for us, if we were going in the afternoon? Would she be back before we
started? Without knowing quite why, I began to feel very frightened, and
Barberin looked at me in a way that did not tend to reassure me. To
escape from his look I ran into the garden.

Our gar