178 A TOUR ROUND MT GARDEN. 



" There was," says he, " a pear-tree near our vine loaded 

 with fruit ; one night, after having, as usual, rambled about 

 the streets, we went, a troop of young rogues, and I, to 

 gather these pears; which we did, and if we tasted one it 

 was simply for the pleasure of doing what we were forbidden 

 to do." 



I had not, as St. Augustine bad, the consolation of being 

 punished for my crime by the crime itself. If his pears were 

 not sweet, I must confess that the hyacinths were beautiful. 

 My punishment arrived late; it did not arrive until yes- 

 terday, but it did arrive. 



The hyacinths were beautiful, and we enjoyed beforehand 

 the admiration and envy they would create at playtime. 

 We went straight to school, under the care of the gardener, 

 without stopping as usual to gape into the shop windows. 

 When arrived, as we knew the hyacinths would stand a chance 

 of being stolen, we would not place our basket in the corner 

 where the baskets were usually deposited; we kept ours, 

 and concealed it under the form between our legs. It ap- 

 peared to us that this interminable class would never be over, 

 or the moment arrive at which we could go and plant our 

 hyacinths. All at once the door was opened, and Madame 

 Ronoin entered. She called us both in one of her blandest 

 tones : " I am told you have brought some beautiful flowers 

 for your garden. Let me see them." 



Then we were like La Fontaine's raven; we took our 

 basket and gave it up to the admiration of Madame Eoncin. 

 In the first place, Madame took out the slices of bread-and- 

 butter and placed them on the table of old father Poquet; 

 then she took out the hyacinths, one by one, and ranged them 

 near the bread-and-butter. At this moment I raised my 

 eyes and saw, close against the windows of the school-room 

 door, two faces ! two formidable faces ! that of the owner of 

 the hyacinths, and that of the gardener, whom my father had 

 sent to fetch us home to expiate our fault. I will not inflict 

 upon you the detail of the reproaches we received, or of the 

 punishment reserved for us till our return to school the next 

 day. We were ordered to carry our basket to the kitchen, 

 where Madame Ronoin and her servant were at breakfast. 

 Both saluted us with the title of little thieves. At first we 



