OF THE FOREST. 31

utmost importance. What this favour was I
could not discover; but I was made to under-
stand that so far from having obtained it, she
had only incurred more violent displeasure
by the strength of her pleadings, for I saw
Mademoiselle push her away several times,
and then I heard my own name repeated, with
an assurance that something, I knew not what,
should not be concealed from me.

Being thus, as I considered, called upon, I
arose, and putting my head out at the win-
dow, I called to Mademoiselle, and asked her
what had happened, and wherefore my name
was mentioned.

Mademoiselle, who had stood up to correct
the child, turned hastily at the sound of
my voice, and approaching as near to me as
possible, “My good father,” she said, “we
have need of your advice and counsel ; and
we hope that you will insist that this child
* here she
stopped to recover breath, of which her
passion had deprived her, and then pro-
ceeded. “This wicked little heretic,” she
said, “whom Madame has always upheld as
a sort of saint amongst us, has, it seems,

shall endure a severe penance :’