"It holds fifteen little wooden dolls," said I, "jointed at the knees
and elbows; and they cost two sols apiece."
"My little dolls--you clever boy! O you clever little boy!" She kissed
me twice again. "Come, and you shall sleep, and then, when you wake,
you shall see."
She took me by the hand and hurried me into the house, and upstairs to a
great bedroom with a large oaken four-post bed in it, and a narrow
wooden bed beside, and a fire lit, and an arm-chair by the hearth.
The four-post bed had curtains of green damask, all closely pinned
around it, and a green valance. But she went to the little bed, which
was hung with pink dimity, and pulled the white sheets out of it and
replaced them with others from a great wardrobe sunk in the wall.
And while I sat in the chair by the fire, munching a crust of bread and
feeling half inclined to cry and more than half inclined to sleep, she
left me, and returned with a can of hot water and a vast night-shirt of
the farmer's, and bade me good-night.
"Be quick and undress, little one." She turned at the door. "The tubs
are all in hiding by this time. Good-night, Yann."
I believe I slept as soon as my head touched the sweet-smelling pillow;
and I must have slept the round of the clock before I opened my eyes,
for the room was now bright with candles, and in the arm-chair by the
fire sat the Breton lady sewing as if for dear life.
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