“Is it so large a sum then?” inquired Maurice.
“It is more than my wages for half a year come to.”
“My dear young gentleman,” said the governess, addressing Maurice, “I see you have a good heart, but perhaps it would be wise, before you think any more about helping this poor woman, to inquire what has happened to throw them suddenly into such a state of destitution. You see they are quite nicely dressed, and do not look at all as if they were accustomed to ask for charity.”
In answer to the questions of the governess and Maurice, the little girl, who was the only one that could speak French, explained that they were Germans from Nuremburg: that they had arrived only that morning in Paris by railway from that city, intending to go on from Paris to Nantes, where they were to embark for New York. Their father had gone out to New York about two years before to settle there: he had been prosperous, and they were going to join him. Their baggage had been already seat on from Nuremburg to Nantes, and put on board the vessel in which their passage had been engaged and paid for by their father at New York, the captain being a friend of his.
She said that when they got out of the train at Paris that morning, they missed a little portmanteau, the only luggage they carried with them, which contained, besides some change of linen, all the money they had. It had either been stolen or lost in the confusion of getting out of the train. So they found themselves now in this great city without friends and without money, and—worst of all—the vessel would sail to-morrow evening, and unless they could go on at once their passage would be lost.
She told her story with such earnestness and simplicity that no one could doubt its truth; and the governess made one more effort to excite the compassion of her pupil. But Adrienne was quite insensible to the suffering of others, and ran off, bowling her hoop.
“Still,” said Maurice, looking after her, “I know one way of finding the money, if I could but make up my mind to do it: I could sell my horse to Adrienne.”
“What do you say, Master Maurice?” exclaimed Jacques. “It is impossible. Sell Cressida, that you refused so bravely to part with to your uncle! Think of your promise to Fritz.”
“When I made that promise, Fritz told me expressly that I might sell it only in order to help any one who was in great distress. Would not he have wished to help this poor woman and these children? That I am sure he would. Still it breaks my heart to part with Cressida: I can hardly bear to think about it: but I will do it.”
Adrienne ran up with her hoop at this moment, and her joy was unbounded when she heard that Maurice consented at last to sell Cressida to her for the ten pieces of gold. She kissed Maurice and she kissed the little horse. She clapped her hands and danced about with delight.