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Enguerrand, who, thanks to his mother's care, was beginning to be an intelligent and interesting child, though he was still painfully like M. de Talbrun, was always with them in the coupe, kindhearted Giselle thinking that nothing could be so likely to assuage grief as the prattle of a child. She was astonished she was touched to the heart, by what she called naively the conversion of Jacqueline.

"Why not?" asked Giselle, very promptly. "Because, what's the use of a husband who is always out of your reach, as it were, between water and sky? One would better be a widow. Widows, at any rate, can marry again. But you, Giselle, don't understand these things. You are going to be a nun."

"I do not see what else I can do, unless you would get me a place as governess somewhere at the ends of the earth," she said. "I could teach children their letters. I should not mind doing anything. I never should complain. Ah! if you lived all by yourself, Giselle, how I should implore you to take me to teach little Enguerrand!"

Indeed, I think I hardly knew what I was promising. I felt sorry for her; I kissed her. I was ready to cry myself, and poor Giselle went on: 'If you knew, dear, how I love you! how I love all my friends! really to love, people must have been brought up together must have always known each other. I don't think she was right, but everybody has his or her ideas about such things.

An exchange of prayers is the best foundation for a friendship," she added; for Giselle had many little convent maxims at her fingers' ends, to which, when she uttered them, her sincerity of look and tone gave a personal meaning. "You are right," said Jacqueline, much moved. "It has done me good to see you. Take this chocolate."

How very anxious and excited she had been all that week! The famous composition of which she had spoken to Giselle, the subject of which had so astonished the young girl brought up by the Benedictine nuns, felt the inspiration of her emotion and excitement.

And the mother-happiness that had lighted up Giselle's pale face died away. "What right," she thought, "has that woman to my child?" She envied the horrid creature, coarse and stout, with her tanned face, her bovine features, her shapeless figure, who seemed as if Nature had predestined her to give milk and nothing more. Giselle would so gladly have been in her place!

"Meantime, it would be well if you, dear, were to try to find out what Jacqueline thinks. You may not find it very easy." "Will you authorize me to tell her how well he loves her? Oh, then, I am quite satisfied!" cried Giselle. But she was under a mistake. Jacqueline, as soon as she began to speak to her of Fred's suit, stopped her: "Poor fellow!

A quarter of an hour later Giselle had comforted him, happy herself that it had been in her power to undertake a task of consolation, a work in which, with sweet humility, she felt herself at ease. On the great stage of life she knew now she should never play any important part, any that would bring her greatly into view.

"Meantime, it would be well if you, dear, were to try to find out what Jacqueline thinks. You may not find it very easy." "Will you authorize me to tell her how well he loves her? Oh, then, I am quite satisfied!" cried Giselle. But she was under a mistake. Jacqueline, as soon as she began to speak to her of Fred's suit, stopped her: "Poor fellow!