Volume IV Part 28 (1/2)

Thus they wrought the iron until nightfall, strong, powerful, happy, like hareat bell of a cathedral resounds upon feast days above the jingling of the other bells, so Phillip's haed second after second with a deafening uproar And he, his eye on fire, plied his trade vigorously, erect amid the sparks

The sky was full of stars as he knocked at La Blanchotte's door He had his Sunday blouse on, a fresh shi+rt, and his beard was tri worieved tone:

”It is ill to coht has fallen, Mr Phillip”

He wished to answer, but stammered and stood confused before her

She resumed:

”And still you understand quite well that it will not do that I should be talked about any more”

Then he said all at once:

”What does that matter to me, if you will be my wife!”

No voice replied to him, but he believed that he heard in the shadow of the room the sound of a body which sank down He entered very quickly; and Siuished the sound of a kiss and some words that his mother said very softly Then he suddenly found hi hith of his herculean arms, exclaimed to him:

”You will tell them, your school-fellows, that your papa is Phillip Remy, the blacksmith, and that he will pull the ears of all who do you any harm”

On the in, little Si lips:

”My papa,” said he in a clear voice, ”is Phillip Remy, the blacksmith, and he has promised to box the ears of all who do er, for he was very well knoas Phillip Remy, the blacksmith, and was a papa of whom anyone in the world would have been proud

PAUL'S MISTRESS

The Restaurant Grillon, a s In front of the door all was a tus in white flannels gesticulated with oars on their shoulders

The ladies in bright spring toilets stepped aboard the skiffs with care, and seating theed their dresses, while the landlord of the establishth, offered his hand to the pretty dears, with great self-possession, keeping the frail craft steady

The rowers, bare-ar chests, took their places in their turn, posing for their gallery, as they did so, a gallery consisting of middle class people dressed in their Sunday clothes, of work upon their elbows on the parapet of the bridge, all taking a great interest in the sight

The boats one by one cast off froe The oarsmen bent themselves forward and then threw the, and under the i the river, got far away, grew se, that of the railway, as they descended the stream towards La Grenouillere One couple only re man, still almost beardless, slender, and of pale countenance, held his rasshopper, by the waist; and occasionally they gazed into each others eyes The landlord shouted:

”Come, Mr Paul, uests of the house, Mr Paul was the most liked and most respected He paid well and punctually, while the others hung back for a long time, if indeed they did not vanish insolvent Besides which he acted as a sort of walking advertisement for the establisher would inquire: ”Who on earth is that little chap who thinks so irl?” some habitue would reply, half-aloud, with a mysterious and important air: ”Don't you know? That is Paul Baron, a senator's son”

And invariably the other could not restrain hi:

”Poor devil! He is not half ood business wo man and his companion as ”her two turtle-doves,” and appeared quite moved by this passion, profitable for her house

The couple advanced at a slow pace; the skiff, Madeleine, was ready, when at thetherein they kissed each other, which caused the public collected on the bridge to laugh, and Mr Paul taking the oars, they left also for La Grenonillere

When they arrived it was just upon three o'clock and the large floating cafe overfloith people