Albert joined in, "Where is the spring?"
"Over there, near the church in the next village."
"Very good, we three will go there," he said, calling Maurice and
Jean, "and we will bring you back lots of water?"
"Wait till I give you…." she opened the cupboard. "Here is the pail.
Take care, it is very heavy."
Albert began to laugh. "Come along, my friends. I have got an idea."
Esperance watched him as he went out and for an instant she loved him.
While waiting for the young men to return she settled her mother on a chest. The only chair in the house was a straw arm-chair with a high back, on which the old Borderie was sitting and which she had not thought of offering.
"No doubt," said Mme. Darbois in a low tone, "little by little she has had to sell everything she had."
The girls opened a bottle of wine, the jar of prunes and the jar of candy, and arranged them on the board pointed out by the poor woman, who thanked them simply and said, "Ah! my little lad, how good it will be for him!"
"And for you too, you know. Now drink some wine and take some coffee," said Esperance, caressing the grandmother's hands.