she had awakened from a second long and peaceful sleep.

I called him, and he came in barefoot, his broad, burly frame seeming to
fill up all the little room. She could not lift up her head, but her
face was turned toward us, and she held out her small, wasted hand to
him, smiling faintly. He fell on his knees before he took it into his
great, horny palm, and looked down upon it as he held it very carefully
with, tears standing in his eyes.

"Why, it is like an egg-shell," he said. "God bless you, mam'zelle, God
bless you for getting well again!"

She laughed at his words--a feeble though merry laugh, like a
child's--and she seemed delighted with the sight of his hearty face,
glowing as it was with happiness. It was a strange chance that had
thrown these two together. I could not allow Tardif to remain long; but
after that she kept devising little messages to send to him through me
whenever I was about to leave her. Her intercourse with Mother Renouf
was extremely limited, as the old woman's knowledge of English was
slight; and with Suzanne she could hold no conversation at all. It
happened, in consequence, that I was the only person who could talk or
listen to her through the long and dreary hours.




CHAPTER THE SEVENTH.

WHO ARE HER FRIENDS?