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"'Tis in truth, a frightful tale," said Oudarde, "and one which would er surprised," added Gervaise, "that fear of the gypsies should spur you on so sharply"

"And you did all the better," resumed Oudarde, "to flee with your Eustache just now, since these also are gypsies from Poland"

"No," said Gervais, "'tis said that they come from Spain and Catalonia"

"Catalonia? 'tis possible," replied Oudarde "Pologne, Catalogue, Valogne, I always confound those three provinces, One thing is certain, that they are gypsies"

"Who certainly," added Gervaise, "have teeth long enough to eat little children I should not be surprised if la Sh she pretends to be dainty Her white goat knows tricks that are too malicious for there not to be some impiety underneath it all"

Mahiette walked on in silence She was absorbed in that revery which is, in some sort, the continuation of acommunicated the emotion, from vibration to vibration, even to the very last fibres of the heart Nevertheless, Gervaise addressed her, "And did they ever learn what became of la Chantefleurie?" Mahiette made no reply Gervaise repeated her question, and shook her ar her by nahts

"What beca mechanically the words whose i an effort to recall her attention to theof her words, "Ah!" she continued briskly, "no one ever found out"

She added, after a pause,-"Sohtfall by the Flécheate A pooron the stone cross in the field where the fair is held It was that ornaift from the handsome Vicomte de Cor to part with it, wretched as she had been She had clung to it as to life itself So,that cross abandoned, we all thought that she was dead Nevertheless, there were people of the Cabaret les Vantes, who said that they had seen her pass along the road to Paris, walking on the pebbles with her bare feet But, in that case, she h the Porte de Vesle, and all this does not agree Or, to speak more truly, I believe that she actually did depart by the Porte de Vesle, but departed from this world"