Yesterday Maurice mended for Annette's mistress the lock of an English writing-desk, and he mended it so astonishingly well, that an English gentleman, who saw it, could not believe the work was done by a Frenchman; so my brother was sent for, to prove it, and they were forced to believe it.

To-day he has more work than he can finish this twelve-month--all this we owe to you.

I shall never forget the day when you promised that you would grant my brother's wish to be apprenticed to the smith, if I was not in a passion for a month; that cured me of being so passionate.
"Dear Madame de Fleury, I have written you too long a letter, and not so well as I can write when I am not in a hurry; but I wanted to tell you everything at once, because, may be, I shall not for a long time have so safe an opportunity of sending a letter to you.
"VICTOIRE." Several months elapsed before Madame do Fleury received another letter from Victoire; it was short and evidently written in great distress of mind.

It contained an account of her mother's death.

She was now left at the early age of sixteen an orphan.