out.

"Madelon, what is it? What is the matter? What ails you?" Louis
called after her.

"You'll know to-morrow," said she, and shut her chamber door, which
was nearly opposite Louis's. His youngest brother Richard occupied
the same room, having his little cot at the other side, under the
window. When he came in, an hour later, Louis turned to him eagerly.

"Has anything happened?" he demanded.

The boy's face, which was always so like his sister's, had the same
despair in it now. "Don't know of anything that's happened," he
returned, surlily.

"What ails Madelon?"

"I tell you I don't know." Richard would say no more. He blew out
his candle and tumbled into bed, turned his face to the window and
lay awake until and hour before dawn. Then he arose, dressed himself,
and went down-stairs. He put more wood on the hearth fire, then knelt
down before it, and puffed out his boyish cheeks at the bellows until
the new flames crept through the smoke. Then he lighted the lantern,
and went to the barn to milk and feed the stock. That was always
Richard's morning task, and he always on his way thither replenished
the hearth fire, that his sister Madelon might have a lighter and
speedier task at preparing breakfast. Madelon usually arose a
half-hour after Richard, and she was not behindhand this morning. She
entered the great living-room, lit the candles, and went about