"Yes, he's ben there."
"But Claude sleeps in the evenings," urged Bidiane. "I assure you that Bastarache was with us."
"Oh, the dear leetle liar," said Mirabelle Marie, affectionately embracing her. "But I'm glad to git back again to yeh."
"I'm telling the truth," said Bidiane, desperately. "Can't you speak, Claudine?"
"We did go," said Claudine, who was still possessed by a demon of laughter. "We followed you."
"Followed us to Sleepin' Water! You're lyin', too. Sakerjé, it was awful to see me mother and me sister and the leetle dead child," and she trotted both feet wildly on the floor, while her rolling eye sought comfort from Bidiane.
"What shall I do?" said Bidiane. "Mr. LeNoir, you will believe me. I wanted to cure my aunt of her foolishness. We took sheets—"
"Sheets?" repeated Mirabelle. "Whose sheets?"
"Yours, my aunt,—oh, it was very bad in us, but they were old ones; they had holes."