mowed. It would be
impossible to describe the leaps and exclamations of joy, the intense
delight, of Fleur-de-Marie. Poor lamb! so long a prisoner, she inspired
the free air with indescribable pleasure. She ran, returned, stopped,
and then raced off again with renewed happiness. At the sight of the
daisies and buttercups Goualeuse could not restrain her transport,--she
did not leave one flower which she could gather. After having run about
in this way for some time, she became rather tired, for she had lost the
habit of exercise, and stopped to take breath, sitting down on the trunk
of a fallen tree which was lying at the edge of a deep ditch.

[Illustration: "_She Proffered to Rodolph the Bouquet_"
Etching by Mercier, after the drawing by Frank T. Merrill]

The clear and white complexion of Fleur-de-Marie, generally rather pale,
was now heightened by the brightest colour. Her large blue eyes sparkled
brightly, her vermilion lips, partly opened to recover her breath,
displayed two rows of liquid pearls; her bosom throbbed under her
worn-out little orange shawl, and she placed one of her hands upon her
heart, as if to restrain its quickened pulsation, whilst with the other
hand she proffered to Rodolph the bouquet of field flowers which she had
just gathered. Nothing could be more charming than the combination of
innocence and pure joy which beamed on her expressive countenance. When
Fleur-de-Marie could speak, she said to Rodolph, with an accent of
supreme happiness and of gratitude, almost amounting to piety:

"How good is the great God to give us so fine a day!"

A tear came into Rodolph's eye when he heard this poor, forsaken,
despised, lost creature utter a cry of happiness and deep gratitude to
the Creator, because she enjoyed a ray of sunshine and the sight of a
green field. He was roused from his reverie by an unexpected
occurrence.

CHAPTER IX.

THE SURPRISE.

We have said that Goualeuse was sitting on the trunk of a fallen tree,
at the edge of a deep ditch. Suddenly a man, springing up from the
bottom of this hollow, shook the rubbish from him under which he had
concealed himself, and burst into a loud fit of laughter. Goualeuse
turned around, screaming with alarm. It was the Chourineur.

"Don't be frightened, my girl," said the Chourineur, when he saw her
extreme fear, and that she had sought protection from her companion.
"Ah, Master Rodolph, here's a curious meeting, which I am sure neither