recalled her dear little warm nest under the eaves at home.

Presently, from a remote couch spoke her one companion, "I am sitting up
on end. What are you doing?"

"Nothing. Lying down and staring at the moon," replied Bessie, and
turned her eyes in the direction of the voice.

The figure sitting up on end was distinctly visible. It was clasping
its knees, its long hair flowed down its back, and its face was steadily
addressed to the window at the foot of its bed. "Do you care to talk?"
asked the queer apparition.

"I shall not fall asleep for _hours_ yet," said Bessie.

"Then let us have a good talk." The unconscious quoter of Dr. Johnson
contributed her full share to the colloquy. She told her story, and why
she was at Madame Fournier's: "Father's ship comes from Yarmouth in
Norfolk. It is there we are at home, but he is nearly always at sea--to
and fro to Havre and Caen, to Dunkirk and Bordeaux. It is a fine sailing
ship, the Petrel. When the wind blows I think of father, though he has
weathered many storms. To-night it will be beautiful on the water. I
have often sailed with father." A prodigious sigh closed the paragraph,
and drew from Bessie a query that perhaps she wished she was sailing
with him now? She did, indeed! "He left me here because I was not
well--it is three weeks since; it was the day of the emperor's
_fête_--but I am no stronger yet. I have been left here before--once for
a whole half-year. I hope it won't be so long this time; I do so miss
father! My mother is dead, and he has married another wife. I believe
she wishes I were dead too."