"But, bless you, these blue-eyed people, who look so soft and gentle, if once they are worked up—"
"They become courageous as lions."
"Poor Mont Saint-Jean! She has good reason to be thankful to her!"
"What she says is true enough. We could not injure the mother without harming the child also."
"I never thought of that."
"Nor I either."
"But you see La Goualeuse did,—she never forgets anything."
"The idea of hurting an infant! horrible! Is it not?"
"I'm sure there is not one of us would do it for anything that could be offered us."
Nothing is more variable than popular passion, or more abrupt than its rapid transition from bad to good, and even the reverse. The simple yet touching arguments of Fleur-de-Marie had effected a powerful reaction in favour of Mont Saint-Jean, who shed tears of deep joy. Every heart seemed moved; for, as we have already said, the womanly feelings of the prisoners had been awakened, and they now felt a solicitude for the unhappy creature in proportion as they had formerly held her in dislike and contempt. All at once, La Louve, violent and impetuous in all her actions, twisted the little cap she held in her hand into a sort of purse, and feeling in her pocket brought out twenty sous, which she threw into the purse; then presenting it to her companions, exclaimed: