Adele heard him, and asked if she was to go to school "sans mademoiselle?"

     "Yes," he replied, "absolutely sans mademoiselle; for I am to take mademoiselle to the moon, and there I shall seek a cave in one of the white valleys among the volcano-tops, and mademoiselle shall live with me there, and only me."

     "She will have nothing to eat: you will starve her," observed Adele.

     "I shall gather manna for her morning and night: the plains and hillsides in the moon are bleached with manna, Adele."

     "She will want to warm herself: what will she do for a fire?"

     "Fire rises out of the lunar mountains: when she is cold, I'll carry her up to a peak, and lay her down on the edge of a crater."

     "Oh, qu' elle y sera mal--peu comfortable! And her clothes, they will wear out: how can she get new ones?"

     Mr. Rochester professed to be puzzled. "Hem!" said he. "What would you do, Adele? Cudgel your brains for an expedient. How would a white or a pink cloud answer for a gown, do you think? And one could cut a pretty enough scarf out of a rainbow."