IN THE NORTH COUNTRY 



portance in village circles since the day of our 

 meeting, and as time goes on and the story grows 

 in the telling, the " belle p'tite bete " will proba- 

 bly dwindle away to scarcely perceptible dimen- 

 sions. 



Astonishment and admiration increased rather 

 than diminished as we wended our way through 

 the village, and nowhere did my little compan- 

 ion create a greater sensation than in the neigh- 

 borhood of the booths, where the objets de piete 

 were being displayed. All along the route a 

 shower of admiring exclamations greeted and fol- 

 lowed her ; the chorus generally consisting of two 

 apostrophes: " Oh, le beau p'tit chien! Ah, la 

 chere p'tite bete! " 



It was as the sun sank behind the mountains 

 and the hush of evening was falling on the world 

 that we turned our faces homeward; the friend 

 with whom I had spent the happy day accompany- 

 ing us as far as the half-way elm. Farther than 

 this I refused to let her go, for she would have 

 to make the return journey alone. As for myself 

 I knew that friends had already set out from the 

 village to meet me, though there were no wayside 

 dangers or alarms to fear. 



We stood awhile at the parting of our ways, 



[239] 



