ave us Maurice," suggested Mathieu. "Here's
Reine here now, and all six children can play a little while together. I
will bring you the boy by and by, when he has had a little snack."

But Maurice had already once more sought refuge among his mother's
skirts. And she refused the invitation. "Oh! no, no!" said she. "He has
to keep to a certain diet, you know, and he must not eat anything away
from home. Good-by; I must be off. I called only to inquire after you
all in passing. Keep well; good-by."

Then she led her boy away, never speaking to Valerie, but simply shaking
hands with her in a familiar, protecting fashion, which the other
considered to be extremely distinguished. Reine, on her side, had smiled
at Maurice, whom she already slightly knew. She looked delightful that
day in her gown of thick blue cloth, her face smiling under her heavy
black tresses, and showing such a likeness to her mother that she seemed
to be the latter's younger sister.

Marianne, quite charmed, called the girl to her: "Come and kiss me, my
dear! Oh! what a pretty young lady! Why, she is getting quite beautiful
and tall. How old is she?"

"Nearly thirteen," Valerie replied.

She had seated herself in the armchair vacated by Constance, and Mathieu
noticed what a keen expression of anxiety there was in her soft eyes.
After mentioning that she also had called in passing to make inquiries,
and declaring that both mother and children looked remarkably well,
she relapsed into gloomy silence, scarcely listening to Marianne, who
thanked her for having come. Thereupon it occurred to Mathieu to leave
her with his wife. To him it seemed that she must have something on her
mind, and perhaps she wished to make a confidante of Marianne.

"My dear Reine," said he, "come with these little ones into the
dining-room. We will see what afternoon snack there is, and lay the
cloth."

This proposal was greeted with shouts of delight, and all the children
trooped into the dining-room with Mathieu. A quarter of an hour later,
when everything was ready there, and Valerie came in, the latter's eyes
looked very red, as if she had been weeping. And that evening, when
Mathieu was alone with his wife, he learnt what the trouble was.
Morange's scheme of leaving the Beauchene works and entering the service
of the Credit National, where he would speedily rise to a high and
lucrative position, his hope too of giving Reine a big dowry and
marrying her off to advantage