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