"I have never met one of those friends!"

"How could you have met them, since you shun all society, all companionship?"

"I have the companionship of my dog. He loves me; he won't betray me, will you, Ami?"

In reply to this question, Ami, whose left paw was still resting on his master, p.r.i.c.ked up his ears, lifted his right paw and laid it on Honorine's lap.

"On my word, Ami, you are getting to be too familiar," said Paul, putting out his hand to remove the paw; but Honorine stopped him.

"Do let the dog alone. He loves me too, you see. Does that displease you?"

"No--no--madame; but----"

"Does it surprise you?"

"I confess that--knowing you such a short time----"

"You do not understand the friendship that your dog displays for me. But the very first time that he saw Agathe, he fawned upon her and caressed her; that was much more singular!"

"It was indeed; and I have often wondered, but in vain, what could be the source of Ami's affection for a person he had never seen."

"I should suppose, monsieur, that you would divine more readily this honest and faithful servant's instincts; at least, after what I have heard."

"What have you heard, madame?"

"That your dog had the gift of divining at once the sentiments with which a person regarded his master; and that, as a result of that instinct, he greeted your enemies far from cordially, that he growled and barked at people whom you had reason to distrust; while, on the contrary, he showed much affection for those who were disposed to feel a--a sincere affection for you."

Honorine almost stammered in her utterance of these last words.

Paul fixed his eyes on the young woman's sweet and sympathetic features, and his brow, ordinarily clouded, seemed to clear; one would have said that for the first time during a long period his heart beat fast under the impulse of a pleasurable sensation.

"It is true, madame," he said after a moment's silence, "that my dog has often afforded proofs of that peculiar instinct; but had I not the right to doubt the accuracy of his second sight in this instance? How could I suppose that you could entertain the slightest affection for me? I have done nothing to deserve it."

"You forget, monsieur, that you have twice established a claim to our grat.i.tude--on the two evenings of the cow and the storm. What would have become of us but for you?"

"Anyone would have done as much as I did."

"I see, monsieur, that you have made up your mind that you will see only evil-minded, false, treacherous people in all who surround you."

"Oh! madame!"

"But your efforts are vain; your dog, who knows what to believe, will always look upon us as his friends. Look; see how he gazes at me; he seems to express approval of my words; if he continues to show such friendliness to me, you will distrust him too, will you not, monsieur?"

"Ah! madame, far from it; on the contrary, I shall think that I have at last found what I believed it to be impossible to find--a true friend!"

At that moment Agathe appeared at the little gate.

"Honorine!" she called; "Honorine! are you there?"

"Here I am," said the young woman, rising; "I was not far away."

"I have been looking for you everywhere; I was worried about you. Ah!

here's Ami; good-day, brave dog!"

Ami had left his place to run to meet Agathe, who then spied the owner of the Tower.

She bowed affably to him, saying:

"Had I known that monsieur was with you, I shouldn't have been alarmed, as he is always our protector."

"I have done nothing yet to earn that t.i.tle," said Paul, returning Agathe's bow. "But I should esteem myself very fortunate, mademoiselle, if I could ever be of any real service to you."

As he finished speaking, he bowed to the two friends and left them, motioning to his dog to follow him, which he did not make up his mind to do until he had trotted back several times to the young women, to fawn upon them and wag his tail.

XI

AN AMAZON

Two days later, Pere Ledrux was working in Madame Dalmont's little garden. Humming as usual, he approached the two friends, who were sitting amid a clump of trees.

"Well!" he said, "here's more fine folks in the place; ah! but these are regular bigwigs, so it seems; even bigger than Madame Droguet!"

"Whom are you talking about, Pere Ledrux?" asked Honorine.

"The folks who've bought the house with the goldfish."

"What!" cried Agathe, "is there a house with goldfish in this village--and we didn't know it?"

"Bless me! mamzelle, when it was for sale, n.o.body thought much about it; it was too dear for the natives here. It's a splendid place, with a park and an English garden and a kitchen garden."

"And goldfish apparently?"

"Yes, mamzelle; a big pond full of 'em."

"And you know who has bought the place?"

"Pardi! everybody in Ch.e.l.les knows."

"You see that that isn't so, Pere Ledrux, for we don't know a word about it."

"The buyers are Monsieur and Madame de Belleville--man and wife; both young. The lady's a fine woman, and she's always dressed up--my word!--as if she was going to a wedding."

"Really? then they are living here?"