"You're going to go away from our house, and I shan't see you any more! I don't want Poucette to go away, I don't!"
This outburst of artless, sincere grief moved the two friends, who tried to pacify the little peasant by saying to her:
"Why, my child, you will still see Poucette; she isn't going to leave Chelles, for we are coming here to live. You can come to see her whenever you have time; we shall never prevent you; on the contrary, we shall be very glad when you come."
"Do you hear, Claudine? these ladies will let you come to see me, and you can help me when I clear up the garden!"
"The garden! oh! that's my business," muttered Ledrux; "you won't have anything to do with taking care of that; you don't know anything about it; a fine mess you'd make of it!"
The little girl looked at the two ladies and sighed. Agathe unfastened a velvet ribbon that she wore about her neck and placed it about the girl's, saying:
"See, this is to console you a little."
Instantly the child smiled through her tears and cried:
"Oh! look, Poucette! the lovely ribbon! see how pretty it is!"
"Yes, you see that these ladies are very kind to you already!"