e those sweet
pretty chimney ornaments; but I shall be sure to have them some of these
days, though I do not know exactly when; but still, they do so run in my
head, that, sooner than be disappointed, I will sit up all night to
work."

"And besides these ornaments?"

"Oh, nothing more; no, I cannot recollect any one other thing I care for
more especially now."

"Why now, particularly?"

"Because, yesterday, if you had asked me the same question, I should
have replied, there was nothing I wanted more than an agreeable
neighbour in your apartments, to give me an opportunity of showing all
the little acts of kindness I have been accustomed to perform, and to
receive nice little attentions in return."

"Well, but you know, my dear neighbour, we have already entered into an
agreement to be mutually serviceable to each other; you will look after
my linen for me, and I shall clean up and polish your chamber for you;
and besides attending to my linen, you are to wake me every morning
early by tapping against the wainscot."

"And do you think you have named all I shall expect you to do?"

"What else can I do?"

"Oh, bless you, you have not yet come to the end of your services! Why,
do you not intend to take me out every Sunday, either to the Boulevards
or beyond the barriers? You know that is the only day I can enjoy a
little pleasure."

"To be sure I do; and when summer comes we will go into the country."

"No, no, I hate the country! I cannot bear to be anywhere but in Paris.
Yet I used, once upon a time, to go, out of good nature, with a young
friend of mine, who was with me in prison, to visit Meudon and St.
Germain. My friend was a very nice, good girl, and because she had such
a sweet voice, and was always singing, people used to call her the
Goualeuse."

"And what has become of her?"

"I don't know. She spent all the money she brought with her out of
prison, without seeming to have much pleasure for it; she was inclined
to be mournful and serious, though kind and sympathising to every one.
At the time we used to go out together I had not met with any work to
do, but directly I procured employment, I never allowed myself a
holiday. I gave her my address, but, as she never came to see me, I
suppose she, like myself, was too busy to spare the time. But I dare say
you don't care to hear any more about her; I only mentioned it because I
wanted to show you that it is no use asking me to go into the country
with