They passed through the yard, where there were hens and pigeons, and Vaillant led them into the garden; it was small, but tastefully arranged, with fruit, vegetables and flowers all growing there without the least confusion. Edouard gazed at everything with deep interest, and Alfred with surprise; he could not understand how so pretty a girl could live alone in that cottage, where everything seemed to point to comfortable circumstances and orderly habits.
The dog walked in front of them; when they stopped, he did the same, and turned to look at them; then he would walk on, turning his head from time to time, to see if they were following him. He led the travellers thus to every nook and corner of the garden; then took them back to the house.
"This dog is an extraordinary creature," said Edouard; "a peasant could not have played the cicerone better."
"He is magnificent," said Alfred, "a genuine Newfoundland. He seems to be young still; I’ll wager that his like cannot be found in the whole district; he is worth more than six hundred francs."
"You must agree, messieurs," said Robineau, "that it’s surprising to find such a fine animal in a peasant girl’s house. For my part, I agree with the shepherd, that it’s very strange that a traveller should have given him to her,—unless the little one, in exchange, gave him her most precious possession."
"Oh! Monsieur Robineau, what an idea!" cried Edouard angrily. "To assume evil at once! to cast a slur upon this child’s virtue."
"Faith, my dear fellow," said Alfred, "it may well be that Robineau is right; we do not know this girl, but she lives alone, and——"
"And that’s a very suspicious circumstance," said Robineau; "but these poets are amazing creatures—they are determined to find prodigies of innocence and virtue everywhere."
"No, monsieur; poets feed on chimeras less than other men; for they are surfeited with all forms of fiction; they know how a romance is made, and they often go behind the scenes, where it is difficult to retain one’s illusions; but that is no reason for never believing in virtue, and I do not believe that an innocent girl is a prodigy in this part of the country."
At that moment Isaure appeared at the door and said: