ad to
say to you, Goualeuse."

Timidly taking her companion's hand, who looked at her with gloomy
distrust, Fleur-de-Marie said:

"I am sure, La Louve, that you take an interest in me, not because you
are cowardly, but because you are generous-hearted. Brave hearts are the
only ones which sympathise in the misfortunes of others."

"There is neither generosity nor courage in it," said La Louve,
coarsely; "it is downright cowardice. Besides, I don't choose to have it
said that I sympathise with any one. It ain't true."

"Then I will not say so, La Louve; but since you have taken an interest
in me, you will let me feel grateful to you, will you not?"

"Oh, if you like! This evening, I shall be in another room than yours,
or alone in the dark hole, and I shall soon be out, thank God!"

"And where shall you go when you leave here?"

"Why, home, to be sure, to the Rue Pierre-Lescat. I have my furniture
there."

"And Martial?" said La Goualeuse, who hoped to keep up the conversation
with La Louve, by interesting her in what she most cared for; "shall you
be glad to see him again?"

"Yes, oh, yes!" she replied, with a passionate air. "When I was taken
up, he was just recovering from an illness,--a fever which he had from
being always in the water. For seventeen days and seventeen nights I
never left him for a moment, and I sold half my kit in order to pay the
doctor, the drags and all. I may boast of that, and I do boast of it. If
my man lives, it is I who saved him. Yesterday I burnt another candle
for him. It is folly,--a mere whim,--but yet it is all one, and we have
sometimes very good effects in burning candles for a person's recovery."

"And, Martial, where is he now? What is he doing?"

"He is still on an island, near the bridge, at Asnieres."

"On an island?"

"Yes, he is settled there, with his family, in a lone house. He is
always at loggerheads with the persons who protect the fishing; but when
he is once in his boat, with his double-barrelled gun, why, they who
approach him had better look out!" said La Louve, proudly.

"What, then, is his occupation?"

"He poaches in the night; and then, as he is as bold as a lion, when
some coward wishes to get up a quarrel with another, why, he will lend
his hand."

"Where did you first know Martial?"

"At Paris. He wished to be a locksmith,--a capital business,--always
with red-hot iron and fire around you; dangerous you may suppose, but
then that suited hi