'I made it, you know,' said the lad.
'Oh! let me see! give it me!' replied the damsel.
But that was asking him too much, and he energetically defended the boat from the approach of her pillaging hands.
'No, no,' said he, 'it gave me too much trouble. Leave go or you'll break it.'
However, finding her very pretty and gay, he became more cordial, and said to her: 'I'll make you another one if you like.'
Then he put the boat in the water again, and the wheels once more began to revolve, whilst Louise accepted his offer, clapping her hands and sitting down on the grass by his side, in her turn won over, and treating him as if he were an habitual playfellow.
Meantime it vaguely occurred to Paul, who was the oldest of the whole party, quite a little man of seven, that he ought to find out who the others were. Noticing Antoinette, he felt emboldened by her amiable demeanour, her healthy, pretty face, so he inquired: 'How old are you?'
'I'm four years old, but papa says I look as if I was six.'
'Who's your papa?'
'Who is papa? why, papa, of course, silly!'