looked up, and bid the stranger welcome; Angelo's quick eye discovered the little bowl he had begun to carve, standing upon the shelf.

"O Babbette, have you forgotten me? I made that bowl for you; do you not remember Angelo?" He had flung his arms round her neck, as he spoke; she trembled, and could scarcely stand.

"Do you know Angelo? Can you tell me what has become of the child? O if you know anything, tell me; I love him as my own child!

"I myself am Angelo! I am come to look for you; I could live no longer, without seeing you again!"

He turned to the cripple, in his arm-chair, and grasped both his hands. "Thank God, no harm has happened to you. I have never forgiven myself, for sending you away; and when I was made helpless, as you see, my wife said, it was a punishment for my covetousness and cruelty to you."

"She should not have said that; " said Angelo, "we should not judge each other. You see it was well for me, that you sent me away; but now mother, give me some supper, for I am hungry."

Babette was so bewildered, with surprise and joy, that she did not know what she was doing;

and she would have upset the soup kettle, if Angelo had not assisted her!

The next day, it spread abroad, that Angelo was returned; and those who recollected him, made as much rejoicing to see him again, as if they had been his best friends. Indeed, they tried to persuade themselves, that they had always been very fond of him.

When Angelo visited the place where his grandmother lay, he found that the black cross had been removed; grass and moss covered the stones, and a huge tree overshadowed it. A small head-stone had been set up where the name and date of the catastrophe had been rudely carved. Angelo was told that it was the old curé who had done this; and Angelo felt grateful to the good man for having taken away the reproach from her grave. The present curé was very poor; and the chapel had fallen out of repair, and the curé's house was not weather-proof. Angelo gave money to repair the chapel and the house, and he also left a sum in the hands of the chief magistrate of the district for the support of any children who might be left destitute and friendless, as he had been. Angelo

remained here many days; and before he departed, persuaded Babbette and her husband to consent to come and live with him, that the doctors might see if they could not cure her husband. He thought, too, how nice it would be if Babbette would take care of the children. He sent for a suitable waggon to convey the invalid, and he himself accompanied them home, otherwise they would scarcely have found the courage to leave the village where they had lived ever since they were born.

Angelo had them installed comfortably in his house. Babbette made an admirable mother to the orphans, who throve wonderfully under her care; and although her husband did not recover the use of his limbs, he was, nevertheless, able to make himself useful in many ways, and by his kindness to the children, endeavoured to make amends for his cruelty and hard-heartedness to Angelo.

One day, when they had been with Angelo about two years, Babbette came to him in great excitement, and said, "To-day, as I went to market, I saw an old beggar-man. The boys were hooting after him, and tormenting him; he seemed quite mad; he was raving and raging about; his hair

was grown quite white; but I am none the less certain that it was Paul. I was so frightened, I could scarcely support myself home. I tremble now at the thoughts of him. Oh, if he should come here, what would become of us?"

"Calm yourself, good Babbette; he can do no harm, poor man! He must not wander about the streets; I will see what can be done for him."

In spite of Babbette's remonstrances, Angelo took his cap, and went out to assist his old enemy.

He found Paul crouching in a corner of a gateway, jabbering and mowing. Angelo felt some of his old dread creep over him. He went up to him, and addressed him, but could obtain no answer; he was quite mad, and had, from his appearance, most likely made his escape from some mad-house. He was taken to the hospital, where Angelo went to visit him, and placed nurses with him, that he might not be chained. But Paul did not live long; he died in less than a month after he entered the hos

pital, without recovering his senses, or knowing who was returning him good for evil.

CHAPTER IV.

The name of Angelo was

MANY years passed over. known as that of a great painter, and he went into many countries and cities, where he had been called to adorn the churches and the public buildings; but unto whatever town he came, he sought out all the desolate and neglected children, and made a home for them. He knew what children needed; for though he had become a great man, his own heart had always remained as the heart of a little child. He could not remain long in any one city himself, but he placed his children under wise superintendence, so that when he departed, the good he had done remained after him. When the children in these homes came to a suitable age, they were apprenticed out to honest trades; those who shewed