“Good little sister,” said Blanche, kissing Rose.  “What happiness!  You have forestalled my thought; kiss me!”

“How so?”

“Your project is mine exactly.  Yesterday, when I heard Dagobert’s wife complain so sadly that she had lost her sight.  I looked into your large eyes, which reminded me of my own, and said to myself:  ’Well! this poor old woman may have lost her sight, but Rose and Blanche Simon can see pretty clearly’—­which is a compensation,” added Blanche, with a smile.

“And, after all,” resumed Rose, smiling in her turn, “the young ladies in question are not so very awkward, as not to be able to sew up great sacks of coarse cloth—­though it may chafe their fingers a little.”

“So we had both the same thought, as usual; only I wished to surprise you, and waited till we were alone, to tell you my plan.”

“Yes, but there is something teases me.”

“What is that?”

“First of all, Dagobert and his wife will be sure to say to us:  ’Young ladies, you are not fitted for such work.  What, daughters of a Marshal of France sewing up great ugly bags!’ And then, if we insist upon it, they will add:  ’Well, we have no work to give you.  If you want any, you must hunt for it.’  What would Misses Simon do then?”

“The fact is, that when Dagobert has made up his mind to anything—­”

“Oh! even then, if we coax him well—­”

“Yes, in certain things; but in others he is immovable.  It is just as when upon the journey, we wished to prevent his doing so much for us.”

“Sister, an idea strikes me,” cried Rose, “an excellent idea!”

“What is it? quick!”

“You know the young woman they call Mother Bunch, who appears to be so serviceable and persevering?”

“Oh yes! and so timid and discreet.  She seems always to be afraid of giving offence, even if she looks at one.  Yesterday, she did not perceive that I saw her; but her eyes were fixed on you with so good and sweet an expression, that tears came into mine at the very sight of it.”

“Well, we must ask her how she gets work, for certainly she lives by her labor.”

“You are right.  She will tell us all about it; and when we know, Dagobert may scold us, or try to make great ladies of us, but we will be as obstinate as he is.”

“That is it; we must show some spirit!  We will prove to him, as he says himself, that we have soldier’s blood in our veins.”

“We will say to him:  ’Suppose, as you say, we should one day be rich, my good Dagobert, we shall only remember this time with the more pleasure.”

“It is agreed then, is it not, Rose?  The first time we are alone with Mother Bunch, we must make her our confidant, and ask her for information.  She is so good a person, that she will not refuse us.”

“And when father comes home, he will be pleased, I am sure, with our courage.”

“And will approve our wish to support ourselves, as if we were alone in the world.”