pieces for Pretty-Heart, Capi and Dulcie. How I longed for
Mother Barberin's soup ... even without butter, and the warm fire, and
my little bed with the coverlets that I pulled right up to my nose.
Completely fagged out, I sat there, my feet raw by the rubbing of my
clogs. I trembled with cold in my wet clothing. It was night now, but I
did not think of going to sleep.

"Your teeth are chattering," said Vitalis; "are you cold?"

"A little."

I heard him open his bag.

"I haven't got much of a wardrobe," he said, "but here's a dry shirt and
a vest you can put on. Then get underneath the hay and you'll soon get
warm and go to sleep."

But I did not get warm as quick as Vitalis thought; for a long time I
turned and turned on my bed of straw, too unhappy to sleep. Would all
my days now be like this, walking in the pouring rain; sleeping in a
loft, shaking with cold, and only a piece of dry bread for supper? No
one to love me; no one to cuddle me; no Mother Barberin!

My heart was very sad. The tears rolled down my cheeks, then I felt a
warm breath pass over my face. I stretched out my hand and my finger
touched Capi's woolly coat. He had come softly to me, stepping
cautiously on the straw, and he smelt me: he sniffed gently, his breath
ran over my cheek and in my hair. What did he want? Presently he laid
down on the straw, quite close to me, and very gently he commenced to
lick my hand. Touched by this caress, I sat up on my straw bed and
throwing my arms round his neck kissed his cold nose. He gave a little
stifled cry, and then quickly put his paw in my hand and remained quite
still. I forgot my fatigue and my sorrows. I was no longer alone. I had
a friend.

CHAPTER VI

MY DEBUT

We started early the next morning. The sky was blue and a light wind had
come up in the night and dried all the mud. The birds were singing
blithely in the trees and the dogs scampered around us. Now and again
Capi stood up on his hind paws and barked into my face, two or three
times. I knew what he meant. He was my friend. He was intelligent, and
he understood every thing, and he knew how to make you understand. In
his tail only was more wit and eloquence than in the tongue or in the
eyes of many people.

Although I had never left my village and was most curious to see a town,
what I most wanted to see in that town was a boot shop. Where was the
welcome shop where I should find the shoes with nails that Vitalis had
promised