can have no
idea how very amusing these pantomimes were.

Soon the fame of Yollande spread far and wide. She became
celebrated throughout the district. Instead of asking Mother
Etienne how _she_ was, people asked:

"How's your hen today, Mother Etienne?"

CHAPTER IV

FATHER GUSSON'S SECRET

One day a peddler, such as often come round to villages, laden
like a mule, and leading by the bridle an ass still more laden,
appeared at the farm. Both looked well but tired and dusty--they
seemed to have had a long journey.

Father Gusson, such was the good man's name, sold all sorts of
things, from tooth-brushes to shoes,--including hardware,
glassware, notions, drugs, and even patent medicines.

Mother Etienne received him kindly and after letting him show her
the things in which she was interested, she offered him
refreshment and suggested that he should take a little rest at the
farm. This he accepted without needing any pressing.

The donkey, relieved straightway from his load, was led into the
paddock, where he wallowed in the tall grass, rolling on his back,
his feet in the air. He enjoyed cleaning himself up like this
after his dusty journey, then, rested--he took his luncheon,
choosing here and there the daintiest morsels; after which he lay
down and philosophised at length.

All this time, Mother Etienne and Germaine were buying, tempted by
one thing after another, silks, laces, stuffs for dresses, and a
number of toilet articles, for both were, though you would not
have suspected it, rather coquettish. Father Gusson--delighted
with his visit to the farm and the business he had done there--was
anxious to leave Mother Etienne a little remembrance.

[Illustration: Father Gusson the peddler comes to the farm.]

"Madame," he said, holding out a small china jar carefully sealed
with parchment, "assuredly you do not need this just now, but if I
should never come back, and if it should happen that one day your
beautiful hair should grow thin, turn grey, or fall out, you have
only to rub your head with this sweet-scented ointment and at once
your hair will grow again thick and of its original colour. I
cannot, alas! give you the recipe, it is a secret left me by my
parents."

Then Father Gusson bade farewell to the two women and went on his
way with "Neddy," both much refreshed by their pleasant rest.

Mother Etienne handed Germaine the precious pot of ointment to put
with their other purchases into