〃You　see；　sir；〃　the　doctor　went　on　without　any　reply　to　the　remark　made　by　Genestas；　〃that　to　speak　of　La　Fosseuse　is　to　speak　of　myself。　La　Fosseuse　is　a　plant　in　an　alien　soil；　a　human　plant　moreover；　consumed　by　sad　thoughts　that　have　their　source　in　the　depths　of　her　nature；　and　that　never　cease　to　multiply。　The　poor　girl　is　never　well　and　strong。　The　soul　within　her　kills　the　body。　This　fragile　creature　was　suffering　from　the　sorest　of　all　troubles；　a　trouble　which　receives　the　least　possible　sympathy　from　our　selfish　world；　and　how　could　I　look　on　with　indifferent　eyes？　for　I；　a　man；　strong　to　wrestle　with　pain；　was　nightly　tempted　to　refuse　to　bear　the　burden　of　a　sorrow　like　hers。　Perhaps　I　might　actually　have　refused　to　bear　it　but　for　a　thought　of　religion　which　soothes　my　impatience　and　fills　my　heart　with　sweet　illusions。　Even　if　we　were　not　children　of　the　same　Father　in　heaven；　La　Fosseuse　would　still　be　my　sister　in　suffering！〃
  Benassis　pressed　his　knees　against　his　horse's　sides；　and　swept　ahead　of　Commandant　Genestas；　as　if　he　shrank　from　continuing　this　conversation　any　further。　When　their　horses　were　once　more　cantering　abreast　of　each　other；　he　spoke　again：　〃Nature　has　created　this　poor　girl　for　sorrow；〃　he　said；　〃as　she　has　created　other　women　for　joy。　It　is　impossible　to　do　otherwise　than　believe　in　a　future　life　at　the　sight　of　natures　thus　predestined　to　suffer。　La　Fosseuse　is　sensitive　and　highly　strung。　If　the　weather　is　dark　and　cloudy；　she　is　depressed；　she　'weeps　when　the　sky　is　weeping；'　a　phrase　of　her　own；　she　sings　with　the　birds；　she　grows　happy　and　serene　under　a　cloudless　sky；　the　loveliness　of　a　bright　day　passes　into　her　face；　a　soft　sweet　perfume　is　an　inexhaustible　pleasure　to　her；　I　have　seen　her　take　delight　the　whole　day　long　in　the　scent　breathed　forth　by　some　mignonette；　and；　after　one　of　those　rainy　mornings　that　bring　out　all　the　soul　of　the　flowers　and　give　indescribable　freshness　and　brightness　to　the　day；　she　seems　to　overflow　with　gladness　like　the　green　world　around　her。　If　it　is　close　and　hot；　and　there　is　thunder　in　the　air；　La　Fosseuse　feels　a　vague　trouble　that　nothing　can　soothe。　She　lies　on　her　bed；　complains　of　numberless　different　ills；　and　does　not　know　what　ails　her。　In　answer　to　my　questions；　she　tells　me　that　her　bones　are　melting；　that　she　is　dissolving　into　water；　her　'heart　has　left　her；'　to　quote　another　of　her　sayings。
  〃I　have　sometimes　come　upon　the　poor　child　suddenly　and　found　her　in　tears；　as　she　gazed　at　the　sunset　effects　we　sometimes　see　here　among　our　mountains；　when　bright　masses　of　cloud　gather　and　crowd　together　and　pile　themselves　above　the　golden　peaks　of　the　hills。　'Why　are　you　crying；　little　one？'　I　have　asked　her。　'I　do　not　know；　sir；'　has　been　the　answer；　'I　have　grown　so　stupid　with　looking　up　there；　I　have　looked　and　looked；　till　I　hardly　know　where　I　am。'　'But　what　do　you　see　there？'　'I　cannot　tell　you；　sir；'　and　you　might　question　her　in　this　way　all　the　evening；　yet　you　would　never　draw　a　word　from　her；　but　she　would　look　at　you；　and　every　glance　would　seem　full　of　thoughts；　or　she　would　sit　with　tears　in　her　eyes；　scarcely　saying　a　word；　apparently　rapt　in　musing。　Those　musings　of　hers　are　so　profound　that　you　fall　under　the　spell　of　them；　on　me；　at　least；　she　has　the　effect　of　a　cloud　overcharged　with　electricity。　One　day　I　plied　her　with　questions；　I　tried　with　all　my　might　to　make　her　talk；　at　last　I　let　fall　a　few　rather　hasty　words；　and；　wellshe　burst　into　tears。
  〃At　other　times　La　Fosseuse　is　bright　and　winning；　active；　merry；　and　sprightly；　she　enjoys　talking；　and　the　ideas　which　she　expresses　are　fresh　and　original。　She　is　however　quite　unable　to　apply　herself　steadily　to　any　kind　of　work。　When　she　was　out　in　the　fields　she　used　to　spend　whole　hours　in　looking　at　a　flower；　in　watching　the　water　flow；　in　gazing　at　the　wonders　in　the　depths　of　the　clear；　still　river　pools；　at　the　picturesque　mosaic　made　up　of　pebbles　and　earth　and　sand；　of　water　plants　and　green　moss；　and　the　brown　soil　washed　down　by　the　stream；　a　deposit　full　of　soft　shades　of　color；　and　of　hues　that　contrast　strangely　with　each　other。
  〃When　I　first　came　to　the　district　the　poor　girl　was　starving。　It　hurt　her　pride　to　accept　the　bread　of　others；　and　it　was　only　when　driven　to　the　last　extremity　of　want　and　suffering　that　she　could　bring　herself　to　ask　for　charity。　The　feeling　that　this　was　a　disgrace　would　often　give　her　energy；　and　for　several　days　she　worked　in　the　fields；　but　her　strength　was　soon　exhausted；　and　illness　obliged　her　to　leave　the　work　that　she　had　begun。　She　had　scarcely　recovered　when　she　went　to　a　farm　on　the　outskirts　of　the　town　and　asked　to　be　taken　on　to　look　after　the　cattle；　she　did　her　work　well　and　intelligently；　but　after　a　while　she　left　without　giving　any　reason　for　so　doing。　The　constant　toil；　day　after　day；　was　no　doubt　too　heavy　a　yoke　for　one　who　is　all　independence　and　caprice。　Then　she　set　herself　to　look　for　mushrooms　or　for　truffles；　going　over　to　Grenoble　to　sell　them。　But　the　gaudy　trifles　in　the　town　were　very　tempting；　the　few　small　coins　in　her　hand　seemed　to　be　great　riches；　she　would　forget　her　poverty　and　buy　ribbons　and　finery；　without　a　thought　for　tomorrow's　bread。　But　if　some　other　girl　here　in　the　town　took　a　fancy　to　her　brass　crucifix；　her　agate　heart　or　her　velvet　ribbon；　she　would　make　them　over　to　her　at　once；　glad　to　give　happiness；　for　she　lives　by　generous　impulses。　So　La　Fosseuse　was　loved　and　pitied　and　despised　by　turns。　Everything　in　her　nature　was　a　cause　of　suffering　to　herher　indolence；　her　kindness　of　heart；　her　coquetry；　for　she　is　coquettish；　dainty；　and　inquisitive；　in　short；　she　is　a　woman；　she　is　as　simple　as　a　child；　and；　like　a　child；　she　is　carried　away　by　her　tastes　and　her　impressions。　If　you　tell　her　about　some　noble　deed；　she　trembles；　her　color　rises；　her　heart　throbs　fast；　and　she　sheds　tears　of　joy；　if　you　begin　a　story　about　robbers；　she　turns　pale　with　terror。　You　could　not　find　a　more　sincere；　open…hearted；　and　scrupulously　loyal　nature　anywhere；　if　you　were　to　give　a　hundred　gold　pieces　into　her　keeping；　she　would　bury　them　in　some　out…of…the…way　nook　and　beg　her　bread　as　before。〃
  There　was　a　change　in　Benassis'　tone　as　he　uttered　these　last　words。
  〃I　once　determined　to　put　her　to　the　proof；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　repented　of　it。　It　is　like　espionage　to　bring　a　test　to　bear　upon　another；　is　it　not？　It　means　that　we　suspect　them　at　any　rate。〃
  Here　the　doctor　paused；　as　though　some　inward　reflection　engrossed　him；　he　was　quite　unconscious　of　the　embarrassment　that　his　last　remark　had　caused　to　his　companion；　who　busied　himself　with　disentangling　the　reins　in　order　to　hide　his　confusion。　Benassis　soon　resumed　his　talk。
  〃I　should　like　to　find　a　husband　for　my　Fosseuse。　I　should　be　glad　to　make　over　one　of　my　farms　to　some　good　fellow　who　would　make　her　happy。　And　she　would　be　happy。　The　poor　girl　would　love　her　children　to　distraction；　for　motherhood；　which　develops　the　whole　of　a　woman's　nature；　would　give　full　scope　to　her　overflowing　sentiments。　She　has　never　cared　for　any　one；　however。　Yet　her　impressionable　nature　is　a　danger　to　her。　She　knows　this　herself；　and　when　she　saw　that　I　recognized　it；　she　admitted　the　excitability　of　her　temperament　to　me。　She　belongs　to　the　small　minority　of　women　whom　the　slightest　contact　with　others　causes　to　vibrate　perilously；　so　that　she　must　be　made　to　value　herself　on　her　discretion　and　her　womanly　pride。　She　is　as　wild　and　shy　as　a　swallow！　Ah！　what　a　wealth　of　kindness　there　is　in　her！　Nature　meant　her　to　be　a　rich　woman；　she　would　be　so　beneficent：　for　a　well…loved　woman；　she　would　be　so　faithful　and　true。　She　is　only　twenty…two　years　old；　and　is　sinking　already　beneath　the　weight　of　her　soul；　a　victim　to　highly…strung　nerves；　to　an　organization　either　too　delicate　or　too　full　of　power。　A　passionate　love　for　a　faithless　lover　would　drive　her　mad；　my　poor　Fosseuse！　I　have　made　a　study　of　her　temperament；　recognized　the　reality　of　her　prolonged　nervous　attacks；　and　of　the　swift　mysterious　recurrence　of　her　uplifted　moods。　I　found　that　they　were　immediately　dependent　on　atmospheric　changes　and　on　the　variations　of　the　moon；　a　fact　which　I　have　carefully　verified；　and　since　then　I　have　cared　for　her；　as　a　creature　unlike　all　others；　for　she　is　a　being　whose　ailing　existence　I　alone　can　understand。　As　I　have　told　you；　she　is　the　pet　lamb。　But　you　shall　see　her；　this　is　her　cottage。〃
  They　had　come　about　one…third　of　the　way　up　the　mountain　side。　Low　bushes　grew　on　either　hand　along　the　steep　paths　which　they　were　ascending　at　a　foot　pace。　At　last；　at　a　turn　in　one　of　the　paths；　Genestas　saw　La　Fosseuse's　dwelling；　which　stood　on　one　of　the　largest　knolls　on　the　mountain。　Around　it　was　a　green　sloping　space　of　lawn　about　three　acres　in　extent；　planted　with　trees；　and　surrounded　by　a　wall　high　enough　to　serve　as　a　fence；　but　not　so　high　as　to　shut　out　the　view　of　the　landscape。　Several　rivulets　that　had　their　source　in　this　garden　formed　little　cascades　among　the　trees。　The　brick…built　cottage　with　a　low　roof　that　projected　several　feet　was　a　charming　detail　in　the　landscape。　It　consisted　of　a　ground　floor　and　a　single　story；　and　sto