"Zanimaux caquéne so manié galoupé;—bourique—tiquiti,
tiquiti, tiquiti; milet—tocoto, tocoto, tocoto;
çouval—tacata, tacata, tacata."
And with the regular crescendo of the three onomatopes, the baby went higher and higher.... My steps had made no sound upon the soft grass; the singer's back, inundated with chestnut hair, was turned toward me; but the baby had observed my approach, and its blue stare of wonder caused the girl to look round. At once she laid the child upon the floor, arose, and descended the wooden step to meet me with the question—"Want to see papa?"
She might perhaps have been twelve, not older—slight, with one of those sensitive, oval faces that reveal a Latin origin, and the pinkness of rich health bursting through its olive skin;—the eyes that questioned my face were brown and beautiful as a wild deer's.
"I want to get some stamped envelopes," I responded;—"is this the post-office?"
"Yes, sir; I can give them to you," she answered, turning back toward the gallery steps;—"come this way!"
I followed her as far as the doorway of the tiniest room I had ever seen—just large enough to contain a safe, an office desk, and a chair. It was cozy, carpeted, and well lighted by a little window fronting the sea. I saw a portrait hanging above the desk—a singularly fine gray head, with prophetic features and Mosaic beard—the portrait of the island's patriarch....
"You see," she observed, in response to my amused gaze, while she carefully unlocked the safe—"when papa and mamma are at work in the field, I have to take charge. Papa tells me what to do.—How many did you say?—four!—that will be ten cents.—Now, if you have a letter to post, you can leave it here—if you like."
I handed her my letter—a thick one—in a two-cent envelope. She weighed it in her slender brown hand;—I suspected the postage was insufficient.
"It is too heavy," she said;—"you will have to put another stamp on it, I think."
"In that case," I replied, "take back one of the stamped envelopes, and give me instead a two-cent stamp for my letter."