The children, three girls and a boy, were hired by the year on farms round about, and helped her with a little money. The boy was said to be one of the best farm hands, though rather too fond of drink and, when under its influence, a dangerous chap to quarrel with. The girls of the family he knew less about. Least of all the eldest, Madeleine, who had been working away from home, in the Vendée, for several years.
Now this unknown woman was to keep house for him! A big, strong girl, her brother had said. He hadn't bargained for so much physical strength. Clumsy fingers were not fit to care for Lalie and little Georges. A hulky person, probably,—exuberantly merry and insolently healthy. He had agreed to pay her high wages, too; altogether, he felt irritated over the whole situation.
The young bullocks, no longer feeling his eye on them, suddenly drew wide. He beat them back mercilessly. The young farm hand paused in his work near by, a song on his lips. Corbier yelled at him:
"Use your muscle, damn it! Much good your fiddle-faddle's doing!"
The boy was silent for a moment, then, insolently, began a loud whistling of the same tune and resumed his work,—as leisurely and gawky as ever.
Corbier felt lonely and weak, without the support of human sympathy. Why had Marguerite
