if wishing were all,
M. Rodolph."

"Let us try. Suppose that this road--I say _this_ road, because we
happen to be on it--"

"Yes, yes, of course; this road is as good as any other."

"Well, then, I say, I suppose that this road leads to a delightful
little village, at a considerable distance from the highroad--"

"Oh, yes; that makes it so much more still and quiet!"

"It is built facing the south, and half surrounded by trees--"

"And close by flows a gentle river."

"Exactly!--a clear, gently flowing river. At the end of this village
stands a pretty farm, with a nice orchard on one side of it, and a
garden, filled with flowers, on the other--"

"That farm shall be called my farm, to which we will pretend we are now
going."

"Just so."

"And where we know we shall get some delicious milk to drink after our
journey!"

"Milk, indeed! Excellent cream, and newly laid eggs, if you please."

"And where we would be glad to stay all our lives!"

"All our lives! Quite right,--go on."

"And then we should go and see all the cows!"

"To be sure we should."

"And afterwards visit the dairy?"

"Visit the dairy! Yes."

"Then the pigeon-house?"

"Yes, so we should."

"Oh, how very, very nice, only to think of such things!"

"But let me finish the description of the farm--"

"Yes, pray do! I quite forgot that."

"Well, then, the ground floor contains two rooms; one, a large kitchen
for the farm servants, and the other for the owner of the place."

"Make that room have green blinds, M. Rodolph,--do, pray; they are so
cool, and look so pretty!"

"Yes, yes,--green blinds to the windows. I quite agree with you,--they
do look uncommonly pretty, and set off a place so well! Of course, the
person tenanting this farm is your aunt."

"Of course she is my aunt, and a very good, sensible, kind woman, M.
Rodolph, is she not?"

"Particularly so, and loves you like her own child."

"Dear, good aunt! Oh, how delightful to have some one to love us!"

"And you return the tender affection she bears you?"

"Oh, with all my heart!" exclaimed Fleur-de-Marie, clasping her hands,
and raising her eyes to heaven with an expression impossible to
describe. "And I should help her to work, to attend to the family linen,
to keep everything neat and clean, to store up the summer fruits against
winter--oh, she would never have to complain that I was idle, I promise!
First of all, in the morning--"

"Wait a bit, Fleur-de-Ma