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fagot without His aid。
。。。I found Jeanne very happy indeed。 She told me that； on the Thursday
previous； after the visit of her guardian； Mademoiselle Prefere had set her
free from the ordinary regulations and lightened her tasks in several ways。
Since that lucky Thursday she could walk in the gardenwhich only
lacked leaves and flowersas much as she liked； and she had been given
facilities to work at her unfortunate little figure of Saint…George。
She said to me； with a smile；
〃I know very well that I owe all of this to you。〃 I tried to talk with her
about other matters； but I remarked that she could not attend to what I was
saying； in spite of her effort to do so。
〃I see you are thinking about something else；〃 I said。 〃Well； tell me
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what it is； for； if you do not； we shall not be able to talk to each other at all；
which would be very unworthy of both of us。〃
She answered；
〃Oh！ I was really listening to you； Monsieur； but it is true that I was
thinking about something else。 You will excuse me； won't you？ I could not
help thinking that Mademoiselle Prefere must like you very； very much
indeed； to have become so good to me all of a sudden。〃
Then she looked at me in an odd； smiling； frightened way； which made
me laugh。
〃Does that surprise you？〃 I asked。 〃Very much；〃 she replied。
〃Please tell me why？〃
〃Because I can see no reason； no reason at all。。。but there！。。。no reason at
all why you should please Mademoiselle Prefere so much。〃
〃So； then； you think I am very displeasing； Jeanne？〃
She bit her lips； as if to punish them for having made a mistake； and
then； in a coaxing way； looking at me with great soft eyes； gentle and
beautiful as a spaniel's； she said；
〃I know I said a foolish think； but； still； I do not see any reason why
you should be so pleasing to Mademoiselle Prefere。 And； nevertheless；
you seem to please her a great deala very great deal。 She called me one
day； and asked me all sorts of questions about you。〃
〃Really？〃
〃Yes； she wanted to find out all about your house。 Just think！ she even
asked me how old your servant was！〃
And Jeanne burst out laughing。
〃Well； what do you think about it？〃 I asked。
She remained a long while with her eyes fixed on the worn…out cloth
of her shoes； and seemed to be thinking very deeply。 Finally； looking up
again； she answered；
〃I am distrustful。 Isn't it very natural to feel uneasy about what one
cannot understand； I know I am foolish； but you won't be offended with
me； will you？〃
〃Why； certainly not； Jeanne。 I am not a bit offended with you。〃
I must acknowledge that I was beginning to share her surprise； and I
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began to turn over in my old head the singular thought of this young girl
〃One is uneasy about what one cannot understand。〃
But； with a fresh burst of merriment； she cried out；
〃She asked me。。。guess！ I will give you a hundred guessesa thousand
guesses。 You give it up？。。。 She asked me if you liked good eating。〃
〃And how did you receive this shower of interrogations； Jeanne？〃
〃I replied； 'I don't know； Mademoiselle。' And Mademoiselle then said
to me； 'You are a little fool。 The least details of the life of an eminent man
ought to be observed。 Please to know； Mademoiselle； that Monsieur
Sylvestre Bonnard is one of the glories of France！'〃
〃Stuff！〃 I exclaimed。 〃And what did YOU think about it；
Mademoiselle？〃
〃I thought that Mademoiselle Prefere was right。 But I don't care at
all。。。（I know it is naughty what I am going to say）。。。I don't care a bit； not a
bit； whether Mademoiselle Prefere is or is not right about anything。〃
〃Well； then； content yourself； Jeanne； Mademoiselle Prefere was not
right。〃
〃Yes； yes； she was quite right that time； but I wanted to love
everybody who loved youeverybody without exceptionand I cannot do
it； because it would never be possible for me to love Mademoiselle
Prefere。〃
〃Listen； Jeanne；〃 I answered； very seriously； 〃Mademoiselle Prefere
has become good to you； try now to be good to her。〃
She answered sharply；
〃It is very easy for Mademoiselle Prefere to be good to me； and it
would be very difficult indeed for me to be good to her。〃
I then said； in a still more serious tone：
〃My child； the authority of a teacher is sacred。 You must consider your
schoolmistress as occupying the place to you of the mother whom you
lost。〃
I had scarcely uttered this solemn stupidity when I bitterly regretted it。
The child turned pale； and the tears sprang to her eyes。
〃Oh； Monsieur！〃 she cried； 〃how could you say such a thingYOU？
You never knew mamma！〃
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Ay； just Heaven！ I did know her mamma。 And how indeed could I have
been foolish enough to have said what I did？
She repeated； as if to herself：
〃Mamma！ my dear mamma！ my poor mamma！〃
A lucky chance prevented me from playing the fool any further。 I do
not know how it happened at that moment I looked as if I was going to cry。
At my age one does not cry。 It must have been a bad cough which brought
the tears into my eyes。 But； anyhow； appearances were in my favour。
Jeanne was deceived by them。 Oh！ what a pure and radiant smile suddenly
shone out under her beautiful wet eyelashes like sunshine among
branches after a summer shower！ We took each other by the hand and sat a
long while without saying a word absolutely happy。 Those celestial
harmonies which I once thought I heard thrilling through my soul while I
knelt before that tomb to which a saintly woman had guided me； suddenly
awoke again in my heart； slow…swelling through the blissful moments with
infinite softness。 Doubtless the child whose hand pressed my own also
heard them； and then； elevated by their enchantment above the material
world； the poor old man and the artless young girl both knew that a tender
ghostly Presence was making sweetness all about them。
〃My child；〃 I said at last； 〃I am very old； and many secrets of life；
which you will only learn little by little； have been revealed to me。 Believe
me； the future is shaped out of the past。 Whatever you can do to live
contentedly here； without impatience and without fretting； will help you
live some future day in peace and joy in your own home。 Be gentle； and
learn how to suffer。 When one suffers patiently one suffers less。 If you
should be badly treated； Madame de Gabry and I would both consider
ourselves badly treated in your person。〃。。。
〃Is your health very good indeed； dear Monsieur？〃
It was Mademoiselle Prefere； approaching stealthily behind us； who
had asked the question with a peculiar smile。 My first idea was to tell her
to go to the devil； my second； that her mouth was as little suited for
smiling as a frying…pan for musical purposes； my thi