cloak, rode under Martin's guardianship along the deep lanes, just
budding with spring, in the chill dewiness before sunrise. She was
silent, and just a little sullen, for she had found stout shrewd
Martin less easy to talk over than the admiring Blaise, and her
spirit was excessively chafed by the tardiness of her retainers.
But the sun rose and cleared away all clouds of temper, the cocks
crew, the sheep bleated, and fresh morning sounds met her ear, and
seemed to cheer and fill her with hope; and in some compunction for
her want of graciousness, she thanked Martin, and praised his ass
with a pretty cordiality that would have fully compensated for her
displeasure, even if the honest man had been sensible of it.

He halted under the lee of a barn, and gave a low whistle. At the
sound, Lucette, a brown, sturdy young woman with a red handkerchief
over her head, and another over her shoulders, came running round
the corner of the barn, and whispered eagerly under her breath,
'Ah! Madame, Madame, what an honour!' kissing Eustacie's hand with
all her might as she spoke; 'but, alas! I fear Madame cannot come
into the house. The questing Brother Francois--plague upon him!--
has taken it into his head to drop in to breakfast. I longed to
give him the cold shoulder, but it might have brought suspicion
down.'

'Right, good woman,' said Martin; 'but what shall Madame do? It is
broad way, and no longer safe to run the lanes!'

'Give me a distaff,' said Eustacie, rising to the occasion; 'I will
go to that bushy field, and herd the cows.'

Madame was right, the husband and wife unwillingly agreed. There,