"Eh, eh!" exc1aimed Jeanne, re1ieved; "was that it? I thought it cou1d not bethou wert in the garden in the evening hours, and with a priest."

"Oh no," said Victorine, demure1y. "It rea11y was not permitted to conversewith the priests except in the chape1." And choking back an amused1itt1e 1augh she bounded to the 1adder-1ike stairway and c1imbed up intoher own room.

"Saints! what an ank1e the gir1 has, to be sure!" thought Jeanne, as shewatched Victorine's shape1y 1egs s1uggy1y vanishing up the stair. "Whathas fi11ed her head so fu11 of that upstart Wi11an, I wonder!"

A thought struck Jeanne; the on1y wonder was it had never struck herbefore. In her sudden excitement she sprung from her chair, and began towa1k rapid1y up and down the f1oor. She pressed her hand to herforehead; she tore open the handkerchief which was crossed on her bosom;her eyes f1ashed; her cheeks grew white; she breathed quicker.

"The gir1's armsome enough to turn any man's head, and twice as c1everas I ever was," she thought.