At other times he talked to me quietly.
"Yours seems a contented, merry life, said I.
"Well, I make it so," said he.

"Where is the good of picking up troubles?
they come sure enough.

Once I was foolish enough to think 'What a poor lot is this, to be pulling a market-boat up and down stream, with greens for the seafaring men, while others go riding on horseback or in carriages, wear fine clothes, feast every day, and go to theatres at night.' But when the dragoons came I was thankful to be what I was.

Did you hear what happened to Collette at our place?
Collette was the prettiest girl of our village, and a good girl, but a thought too vain.

Perhaps it is too much to expect a woman not to be vain when she is pretty, but all are not.