Page 159 (1/1)

"That gypsy steal your child froular freak of yours!"

Mahiette shook her head with a pensive air

"The singular point is," observed Oudarde, "that ~la sachette~ has the sayptian woman"

"What is ~la sachette~?" asked Mahiette

"Hé!" said Oudarde, "Sister Gudule"

"And who is Sister Gudule?" persisted Mahiette

"You are certainly ignorant of all but your Reims, not to know that!" replied Oudarde "'Tis the recluse of the Rat-Hole"

"What!" de this cake?"

Oudarde nodded affirmatively

"Precisely You will see her presently at heron the Grève She has the saypt, who play the tambourine and tell fortunes to the public No one knohence coyptians But you, Mahiette--why do you run so at theher child's round head in both hands, "I don't want that to happen to me which happened to Paquette la Chantefleurie"

"Oh! you ood Mahiette," said Gervaise, taking her arnorant of all but your Paris not to know that! I will tell you then (but 'tis not necessary for us to halt that I may tell you the tale), that Paquette la Chantefleurie was a pretty hteen years ago, and 'tis her own fault if she is not to-day, like ood, plump, fresh mother of six and thirty, with a husband and a son However, after the age of fourteen, it was too late! Well, she was the daughter of Guybertant, es at Rei Charles VII, at his coronation, when he descended our river Vesle from Sillery to Muison, when Madame the Maid of Orleans was also in the boat The old father died when Paquette was still a mere child; she had then no one but her mother, the sister of M Pradon, master-brazier and coppersmith in Paris, Rue Farood faood si but a bit of e which did not prevent the little one fro very poor They both dwelt at Reims, on the river front, Rue de Folle-Peine Mark this: For I believe it was this which brought misfortune to Paquette In '61, the year of the coronation of our King Louis XI whoay and so pretty that she was called everywhere by no other nairl! She had handso the; handsome teeth ruin handsome eyes So she was la Chantefleurie She and her ; they had been very destitute since the death of thethes a week, which does not ale liards Where were the days when Father Guybertant had earned twelve sous parisian, in a single coronation, with a song? One winter (it was in that saots nor firewood, it was very cold, which gave la Chantefleurie such a fine color that the men called her Paquette! and many called her Pàquerette! and she was ruined--Eustache, just let me see you bite that cake if you dare!--We immediately perceived that she was ruined, one Sunday when she caold cross about her neck At fourteen years of age! do you see? First it was the young Vicoues distant fro; then less than that, Chiart de Beaulion, sergeant-at-areon, carver to the King; then, Mace de Frépus, barber to 's cook; then, the er and less noble, she fell to Guillauurdy and to Thierry de Mer, laed to every one: she had reached the last sou of her gold piece What shall I say to you, my damoiselles? At the coronation, in the sa of the debauchees! In the same year!"