A DOG OF FLANDERS. 97

should I have been?” And these
dreams, beautiful, impossible, inno-
cent, free of all selfishness, full of
heroical worship, were so closely
about him as he went that he was
happy — happy even on this sad anni-
versary of Alois’ saint’s day, when he
and Patrasche went home by them-
selves to the little dark hut and the
meal of black bread, whilst in the
mill-house all the children of the vil-
lage sang and laughed, and ate the
big round cakes of Dijon, and the
almond gingerbread of Brabant, and
danced in the great barn to the light
of the stars and the music of flute
and fiddle.

“Never mind, Patrasche,”’ he said,
with his arms round the dog’s neck