“With God’s blessing we may,” said I.

“Make that proviso with all my heart,” said La Croissette. “some trust in Providence and some in luck.  I have nothing to say against either.  Now get into the cart.”

He led the horse a little out of the shadow as he spoke, and helped me inside the little house on wheels, where I found a mattress that proved a most acceptable rest; and then we drove slowly and quietly off, and gradually got among fields and hedges.

“How are you getting on?” said La Croissette, at length.  “Do you mind the shaking?”

“Oh,” said I, “I have so many things on my mind that I take no thought for the body.”

“All the better; though some say that pain of the mind is the worst to bear of the two.”

“I have little doubt of it,” said I, “though each are bad enough.  But all I meant was that my mind is preoccupied and anxious, and prevents my noticing any mere discomforts; for I cannot say I am miserable.”

“Indeed I think you ought not to be, for you have had an escape from that troubled city that many would rejoice at.”

“Tell me truly; do you think I have actually escaped?”

“What know I?  You have escaped from the evils behind; you may not escape from the evils before.  Yesterday was cloudy, to-morrow may be rainy, the day after may be fine; none of us knows.  At least there is a weather-prophet at Arles whom some of the fools believe in; but he broke his leg a little while ago, and his spirit of prophecy did not enable him to foresee that, therefore I doubt his knowing about the weather.”

“There have always been those who dealt in lying signs and wonders,” said I, “from the days of Moses, when the magicians feigned to change their rods into serpents, which of course they could not do really.”

“They were clever at sleight-of-hand, I suppose,” said La Croissette.  “So is Doctor Jameray.  He can do many wonderful things.  I can do some of them myself.  You see, some of his conjuring tricks require a second person, who must not be known for his assistant; so that when he sets out on his tours through the provinces, I generally do the same, and contrive to cross his path, as if by accident.  Then we play off on a new set of people the tricks we have played twenty times before in other places.”

“Then needle-selling is only a blind?” said I.

“I turn a little money by it; the more, that I am careful always to sell the best needles and pins.  Thus I have acquired a name—­the housewives trust me; I have a character to support.  And my character supports me.”

“A good character always does so in the long run,” said I.

“Well, I don’t know what to say about that.  You are too young to have any authority of weight.  It must be your father’s wisdom, and I am not sure it will stand the test.”

“I feel sure of it,” said I.

’What, when you are this very moment a houseless wanderer, without having done any wrong?  How does your good character support you now?”