He was like a new vase, cracked before it had served its use, and he felt thoroughly ashamed of the weakness and infirmity of his inner self.  Thus pondering, he traversed much ground, hardly knowing where he was going.  The fog, which now filled the air and which almost hid the trenches with its thin bluish veil, made it impossible to discover his bearings.  At last he reached the border of some pastureland, which he crossed, and then he perceived, not many steps away, some buildings with tiled roofs, which had something familiar to him in their aspect.  After he had gone a few feet farther he recognized the court and facade of La Thuiliere; and, as he looked over the outer wall, a sight altogether novel and unexpected presented itself.

Standing in the centre of the courtyard, her outline showing in dark relief against the light “sugar-frosting,” stood Reine Vincart, her back turned to Julien.  She held up a corner of her apron with one hand, and with the other took out handfuls of grain, which she scattered among the birds fluttering around her.  At each moment the little band was augmented by a new arrival.  All these little creatures were of species which do not emigrate, but pass the winter in the shelter of the wooded dells.  There were blackbirds with yellow bills, who advanced boldly over the snow up to the very feet of the distributing fairy; robin redbreasts, nearly as tame, hopping gayly over the stones, bobbing their heads and puffing out their red breasts; and tomtits, prudently watching awhile from the tops of neighboring trees, then suddenly taking flight, and with quick, sharp cries, seizing the grain on the wing.  It was charming to see all these little hungry creatures career around Reine’s head, with a joyous fluttering of wings.  When the supply was exhausted, the young girl shook her apron, turned around, and recognized Julien.

“Were you there, Monsieur de Buxieres?” she exclaimed; “come inside the courtyard!  Don’t be afraid; they have finished their meal.  Those are my boarders,” she added, pointing to the birds, which, one by one, were taking their flight across the fields.  “Ever since the first fall of snow, I have been distributing grain to them once a day.  I think they must tell one another under the trees there, for every day their number increases.  But I don’t complain of that.  Just think, these are not birds of passage; they do not leave us at the first cold blast, to find a warmer climate; the least we can do is to recompense them by feeding them when the weather is too severe!  Several know me already, and are very tame.  There is a blackbird in particular, and a blue tomtit, that are both extremely saucy!”

These remarks were of a nature to please Julien.  They went straight to the heart of the young mystic; they recalled to his mind St. Francis of Assisi, preaching to the fish and conversing with the birds, and he felt an increase of sympathy for this singular young girl.  He would have liked to find a pretext for remaining longer with her, but his natural timidity in the presence of women paralyzed his tongue, and, already, fearing he should be thought intruding, he had raised his hat to take leave, when Reine addressed him: