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Lee had more strength, but Bark had more science, an' laid Lee out col'. Then Bark went home an' tol' the ole man, who had a mortgage on the ho-tel, an' he sol' Lee up. I hear he's barberin' or somethin' er that sort up to Atlanta, an' the hotel's run by another man. There's Fetters comin' in now."
"The cow that you have given me in your poor days will be more to me than anything you can give me when you're rich, Remi," she said fondly. The next day, after bidding dear Mother Barberin a loving farewell, we started to walk along the banks of the canal. Mattia was very thoughtful. I knew what was the matter. He was sorry that I had rich parents.
But just before we arrived home Barberin, who was walking ahead, stopped. "You know," he said, taking me roughly by the ear, "if you say one single word of what you have heard to-day, you shall smart for it. Understand?" "Well," asked Mother Barberin, when we entered, "what did the mayor say?" "We didn't see him." "How! You didn't see him?"
He also had felt and pinched the cow. He also had shaken his head and said that it was not a good cow, it would be impossible to sell it again, and yet after all he had bought it and taken it away with him. Was the old man going to buy me and take me away with him? Oh, Mother Barberin! Mother Barberin!
"Come and salute your master's mother, Capitano." Capi got on his hind paws and bowed gravely to Mother Barberin. She laughed heartily. Her tears had quite vanished. Mattia made me a sign to spring our surprise. "Let's go and see how the garden looks," I said. "I have kept your bit just as you arranged it," she said, "for I knew that some day you would come back."
This terrible thought had never occurred to me, and yet poor Vitalis had died, ... how was it I had not thought that I might lose her.... "Why didn't you say that before?" I demanded. "Because when I'm happy I don't have those ideas. I have been so happy at the thought of offering your cow to Mother Barberin and thinking how pleased she'd be, I never thought before that she might be dead."
Then she threw up her hands to heaven so abruptly that the cat sleeping on her knees sprang down in terror. "Alas! Alas!" she cried, then she added: "Are you the boy he was looking for?" "Oh, you know?" I cried excitedly. "Well, where's Barberin?" "Dead," she replied, laconically. I leaned on my harp. "Dead!" I cried loud enough for her to hear. I was dazed. How should I find my parents now?
I was kneeling on both knees on the ground, supported on my hands, with my nose almost touching the earth where the artichokes were sown, when I heard Barberin calling me impatiently. I hurried back to the house. Imagine my surprise when I saw, standing before the fireplace, Vitalis and his dogs. I knew at once what Barberin wanted of me.
"Well, we've sent him to the Home. But we've said enough. I'll take him to-morrow. I'm going 'round to see François now. I'll be back in an hour." The door was opened and closed again. He had gone. Then I quickly sat up in bed and began to call to Mother Barberin. "Say! Mamma!" She ran over to my bed. "Are you going to let me go to the Foundlings' Home?" "No, my little Remi, no."
"Here's some onions," he said, knocking a rope down with his big stick; "with four or five onions and a piece of butter we'll have a good soup. Take out the pancakes and fry the onions in the pan!" "Take the pancakes out of the frying pan!" Without a word, Mother Barberin hurried to do what her husband asked. He sat down on a chair by the corner of the fireplace.
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