Other sad weeks followed on, till it was early February, fine,temperate weather. Yann had just come from his shipowner's where hehad received his wages for the last summer's fishery, fifteen hundredfrancs, which, according to the custom of the family, he carried tohis mother. The catch had been a good one, and he returned wellpleased.

　　Nearing Ploubazlanec, he spied a crowd by the side of the road. An oldwoman was gesticulating with her stick, while the street boys mockedand laughed around her. It was Granny Moan. The good old granny whomSylvestre had so tenderly loved--her dress torn and bedraggled--hadnow become one of those poor old women, almost fallen back in secondchildhood, who are followed and ridiculed along their roads. The sighthurt him cruelly.

　　The boys of Ploubazlanec had killed her cat, and she angrily anddespairingly threatened them with her stick. "Ah, if my poor lad hadonly been here! for sure, you'd never dared do it, you young rascals!"It appeared that as she ran after them to beat them, she had fallendown; her cap was awry, and her dress covered with mud; they calledout that she was tipsy (as often happens to those poor old "grizzling"people in the country who have met misfortune).

　　But Yann clearly knew that that was not true, and that she was a veryrespectable old woman, who only drank water.

　　"Aren't you ashamed?" roared he to the boys.

　　He was very angry, and his voice and tone frightened them, so that inthe twinkling of an eye they all took flight, frightened and confusedbefore "Long Gaos."Gaud, who was just returning from Paimpol, bringing home her work forthe evening, had seen all this from afar, and had recognised Granny inthe group. She eagerly rushed forward to learn what the matter was,and what they had done to her; seeing the cat, she understood it all.

　　She lifted up her frank eyes to Yann, who did not look aside; neitherthought of avoiding each other now; but they both blushed deeply andthey gazed rather startled at being so near one another; but withouthatred, almost with affection, united as they were in this commonimpulse of pity and protection.

　　The school-children had owed a grudge to the poor dead grimalkin forsome time, because he had a ............