nsieur, one has the devil in one's body."

"Listen to this," said the delighted Paragot jumping on to his feet and
tucking the fiddle beneath his chin.

And there in the pure dawn with nothing but God's sky and green fields
around us, he played Gounod's "Ave Maria," putting into his execution
all his imaginative fervour, and accentuating the tremolo passages in a
vibrating ecstasy which to Blanquette's uncultured soul was the very
passion of music. I have since learned that the greatest violinists do
not overemphasise the tremolo.

"Ah Dieu! it is beautiful," she murmured.

"Isn't it?" cried Paragot. "And it touches your heart, my little
Blanquette, eh? We are all artists together."

"I, Monsieur?"

She laughed and ran her hands over the zither strings.

"I ought to be at work in the fields. So Pere Paragot used to say. I
make no progress--I am as stupid as a goose."

* * * * *

Two hours afterwards we started for Chambery, as odd a procession as
ever gave food for a high-road's gaiety. From the old grey valise
carried the previous day by Blanquette she had produced much property
finery. A black velveteen jacket resplendent with pearl-buttons,
velveteen knee-breeches tied with ribbons at the knees, and a rakish
Alpine hat with a feather adorned my master's person. His own
disreputable heavy boots and a pair of grey worsted stockings may not
have formed a fastidious finish to the costume; but in my eyes he looked
magnificent. Towards the transfiguration of Blanquette a Pandora box
could not have effected more. She was attired in a short skirt, a white
_fichu_ moderately fresh, a kind of Italian head-dress and scarlet
stockings. Enormous gilt ear-rings swung from her ears; a cable of blue
beads encircled her neck; her lips were dyed pomegranate, her eyes
darkened and her cheeks touched with rouge. A pair of substantial gilt
shoes slung over her shoulders clinked their heels together as she
walked. Narcisse barked his ecstatic admiration around this beauteous
creature, and had I been a dog I should have barked mine too. My dignity
as a man only allowed me to cast sidelong glances at her and hope that
she would soon put on the gilt shoes. As for my master, on beholding
her, he doffed his hat and saluted her with a fantastic compliment,
whereat the girl blushed brick-red and turned her head away.

"Motley's the only wear, my son," he cried gaily. "In this cap and
bells, I see life u