Bebee

d yellow to the very life no doubt; and the old Cheap John had saved her a cage for the starling; and the tinker had a cream cheese for her in a vine-leaf, and the sweetmeat seller brough

and when Bébée got fairly to her stall, and traffic began, she t

ld hardly believe that the carillon was not saying its "

ike a driving of angry winds, but no more hurting her than the ang

by the child without resting on her; her heart was in her fl

e to loiter in the Spanish square; and she sold fast and well

ine times out of ten no doubt, only drooped and died in the hands that purchased

had no less than fifty sous in her leather pouch when it

l, when the Ave Maria began ringing over the town and

lossoms in all the balconies, and gay colors in all the dresses

allery, and I will buy you a little gilt heart, or a sugar-apple s

; she only thought she would just kneel a moment in the cathedral and say a little

It is all very vague to him: a jumble of veneration and familiarity, of sanctity

ople. He talks to his good angel Michael, and to his friend that dear little Jesus, mu

children as they pass the bowl of potatoes round the stove in the long winter nights; it is as silly as possible, but it comforts them as they carry fagots over the froz

ision not at all northern, she had mixed up her religion with the fairies of Antoine's stories, and the demons in which the Flemish folks are profound believers, and the flowers into which she put all manner of sentient life, until her religion was a fantastic medley, so entangled that poor Father Francis had given up in despair

treets, where sunlight fell still between the peaked high roofs, and lam

n shoes. Under the short woollen skirts the grace of her pretty limbs moved freely. Her broad silver clasps shone like a shield, and she was utterl

is named after Mary of Burgundy saw her going thus. He l

st caught his sight; and then he had

e chances wo

r away at the west end there was an old custodian a

, and stole on into the chapel of the Saint

against her silver shield, her basket on the pavement by her, abovehead the sunset rays stream

watch the light, her hands clasped still, and on her upturned face the l

to the message of the dying sun-rays; she was feeling vaguely, wistfully, unutterably the tender beauty of the sacred place and the awful wonder of the wor

ds. Quite alone sometimes; for God had been cru

meaning, Bébée rose with a startled look-had she been dreaming?-w

man's voice said not far off; it was low

quite know what she saw: only

t in her basket and found three mo

will give them to you," she said, i

ranger, as he took the buds. "Where

Grande

l me your nam

m Bé

. There was a shuffle of chairs and a stir of feet. Boys in white went to and fro, lig

her little

have a cake at home to-night,

, indeed. Will you buy some more

t it in amaze. In the green lanes by Laeken no

h, nor anywhere, except what th

the heavy oak door for her, and

uare there was still the cool brig

tle gray figure ran quickly through the deep shade cast from the towers and wal

use of the cake?" said her ne

at him with a smil

ting, you know, and th

and day wit

ête day: I

She told it to the ve

eel old, I

ey cannot call me

be ridiculous. Are those

show him the beautiful shining red shoes. "Look! old Gringoire gave me these.

u wear shoes wit

ake cast in

ever thou

after a sad little pause. "But that I could not do til

d fairy gives

ngs to her-relations indeed. She di

oon one summer, and never blossomed, and we all thought it was dead, I prayed all day long for it, and neve

it whilst you p

asm esca

vain and wicked to pray for a pair of stockings

t with a band playing. The windows were open, and people were laughing and singing in some of them. The light caught

e loud challenge of the military music, looked

come with me? Do not do it, please. Yo

and nodded to him and ran off-as fleetly as a

go unpursued. Above, from the open casement of a café, some young men and so

t pretty peasant?

to join them; he dropped the moss-roses as