THEY LODGE IN THE FIELDS.

177

her up with his coarse, but warm blue sea jacket. It was, fortunately, a fine warm night in July, so that, instead of feeling sorry they had no bed, John could not help being very grateful and happy, as he looked up at the deep blue sky over his head, which was sparkling with thousands of bright stars. As he was silently thanking the kind and good God for his protection, and for his enabling him to help himself, and manage his journey so well as he had till now done, he suddenly heard voices on the other side of the hedge. He listened, but could not make out a word, as the men talked in French. He rose softly from his bed of hay, and crept to that of Julie, who was at a little distance. He awakened her very gently, and placed his fingers on his lips, in token that she should listen in silence. Julie, who saw his signs by the star-light, after having hearkened to the voices with great attention, suddenly started up, and drew John quietly, but quickly from the spot. He saw that her face was much agitated, and she looked pale and frightened. He had distinguished in the midst of the conversation he had just overheard, the name of the cross man who had refused them a supper and bed that evening. He particularly recollected it, because it was written over the man's door, "Lion ;" and Julie had laughed when she read it, as if she had meant to say that it was a good name for such a cross person. He now noticed that Julie was leading him back to the village where Mr. Lion lived, and that she at length stopped at his door. She knocked loudly, and at last the man came to the window, and asked, in a gruff tone, what they wanted. Julie only spoke a few words in a loud whisper, when he hastened down stairs, mut

178

THEY PREVENT A ROBBERY.

tering all the way, "Que diantre!" and "Morbleu !"* and opened the door for them. After bringing the children in, he immediately called up some workmen who slept in the house, and placing them at the doors and windows, with sticks in their hands, he gave them some directions in a frightened tone of voice, and seemed to be expecting something in great alarm. They did not wait long before they heard a voice at one of the window shutters. All the workmen immediately sallied out, and, after a short scuffle, they came in again, bringing with them two men, bound hand and foot, who no sooner uttered a word, than John discovered them to be the same men whose voices he had heard in the meadow. He now found that Julie had overheard them plotting an attack on Mr. Lion's house; and had, in fact, returned good for evil, by coming and warning him of his danger, although he had been so unkind as to refuse them a little food and a night's lodging. The man himself seemed now to be ashamed of his behavior, for he pulled out a golden coin, and offered it to Julie, but she shook her head, and John stepped forward and put back his hand, for he would not be paid for doing a good action, especially by a man whom he did not respect, even though he felt that that piece of money would be of very great use to him and Julie on their journey: so he took her hand, and without wishing him good bye, they both left the house, and went to their pleasant beds in the meadow, where they both slept soundly till morning, when they jumped up betimes, and continued their journey as merrily and happily as usual.

"What the deuce!" and morbleu is another French exclamation, which it is impossible to translate; it is a kind of oath.

THEY ARRIVE AT PARIS.

179

Often and often did John Barton thank God for having caused him to meet with his dear little friend Julie. Had he unkindly eaten all his fruit, instead of sharing it with the poor little stranger, he never could have managed his journey half so well; so that he felt how true the proverb was he had heard his mother repeat -"A good deed always meets its reward."

By being constantly together, and helping and loving each other, John and Julie at last came to understand each other by signs, almost as well as they could have done by talking; and, by degrees, John learnt to understand a few words of French, and Julie of English.

At length, after about fifteen days' travelling, by the help of Julie's inquiring the way in all the towns they passed through, and by noticing all the stage-coaches that passed them on the road, the two little wanderers entered the city of Paris.

Here then, at last, was our hero in Paris; at which place he had, for the last fortnight, been so anxious to arrive. But how was he to proceed in order to find out the French gentleman, who, he hoped, would be a friend to his mother? He did not even know his name; and as he looked at the rows and rows of houses that surrounded him on all sides of this immense town, his heart almost failed him, when he recollected that he did not even know the name of the street in which the gentleman lived.

However, he tried to keep up his spirits, for he recollected that he had never found grieving or crying do him any good, or help him forward in any thing; so he began to think what he had better first do, in order to set about looking for the French gentleman.

At this moment, a rude boy, passing quickly and unconcernedly, happened to knock down a basket of fine

180

THE FRUIT-WOMAN.

peaches belonging to a fruit-woman, whose stall was just opposite to the spot where our two little friends were standing.

John immediately, with his usual active good-nature, ran to assist the woman in picking up her fruit, and replacing it in the basket; and she, after having bestowed a few hard words on the awkward boy, turned and thanked our hero, and then gave him a fine peach for his pains. John, although he felt rather hungry, yet (as he always did, when any thing nice was given to him) instantly gave it to Julic, because he thought that she, being a little girl, and weaker than himself, must want it still more than he.

The fruit-woman, who observed this action of his, was very much pleased, and exclaiming, “C'est bien fait, mon petit ami, de la donner à ta sœur ; tiens, en voilù une autre, pour toi-même," ,"* she placed another peach in his hands for himself.

While the children were eating their peaches, and still standing by the stall, a lady bought some fruit of the woman, and then wished to have it sent home for her.

The fruit-woman, who liked John's honest face, and his kindness to the little girl, desired him to carry it to the lady's house; and when Julie had made him understand what he was to do, he took the basket, and, accompanied by his little friend, (who would never leave him for an instant,) he followed the lady home. Upon his arriving there, he delivered the basket of fruit to a servant, and the lady, who was pleased with the two children, gave them each a cinque sous piece.†

"That's well done, my little friend, to give it to thy sister; hold, here's another for thyself."

† A small coin, worth two-pence half-penny, English.

THE FRUIT-WOMAN.

181

John, thinking this to be the price of the fruit, immediately returned with it to the fruit-woman, who was still more pleased with him, from this fresh proof of his honesty and goodness. He now made his usual signs to Julie that she should inquire about a sleepingplace. He soon saw by the smiling looks of the good woman, that their petition for a night's lodging was granted, and he felt very grateful that they had so soon found a home in that great busy city, where every one seemed to be so much occupied with his own thoughts and business, that John had felt much more solitary and neglected since he had come amongst them, than he had ever felt whilst he was travelling along through country roads and meadows, and had only come now and then to a cottage, where the people seemed to have more leisure and inclination to attend to him. In fact, the good fruit-woman had quite taken a fancy to the two strange children, from their honesty, good behavior, and fondness for each other, and she felt scarcely less pleased than they did, when they were both happily settled in her nice little lodgings in the Rue.

In return for all her kindness to them, John endeavored to make himself as useful as possible to her; and he really was a great assistance to his kind friend, by carrying the baskets of fruit to the houses of the people who purchased them at the stall, and by going on all kinds of errands for her, when out of doors, and when at home, by rubbing the fruit, arranging it in the baskets for the next day's sale, picking out the best leaves and placing them among the fruit so as to make it look more tempting, besides various other little jobs in the household, which made him quite a valuable helpmate.

As for little Julie, she was not able to do much