CHAPTER I
IN THE SCHOOLROOM
"Flambeau!"
The sound was illusive. Flambeau listened with every bit of him, histaut, strong body alert with eagerness. The call might have come fromthe landing outside the small salon of Madame la Comtesse, but it hadsounded higher up; the schoolroom, perhaps, or the nurseries beyond.Flambeau gained the top of a high staircase with a few leaping bounds,ran down a corridor, turned a corner, and almost knocked down his ownMarie Josephine, who had been calling him. He leaped upon her inwelcome.
"I've been out on the balcony, Flambeau. I called you from there, for Ithought you might be in the garden."
A voice from a half-open door near them called sharply, "MarieJosephine, come in and close the door."
Marie Josephine walked slowly toward a flicker of light reflected on thewall opposite the schoolroom door, and went inside, closing the doorafter her. Flambeau had come in with her and he walked somewhatdisdainfully toward a table which was drawn close to a dancing fire in adeep, old-fashioned fireplace. The table was covered with bits ofbrocade, satin, and gold lace. Two girls sat one on each side of it, anda short, fat maid sat cross-legged on a stool at their feet, bendingover a piece of sewing in her lap. When Marie Josephine and the dog cameinto the room, the maid stood up and made a curtsy.
"Will you sit in your favorite big chair by the fire, LittleMademoiselle?" she asked.
Marie Josephine shook her head for reply, watching the swift darting ofthe maid's needle as she sat down again and went on with her work. Thenshe glanced at her cousin Hortense, who held a piece of ermine up beforeher.
"It will do for the edging of the mantle, will it not, Prote?" Hortenseasked the maid. Without waiting for an answer, she went on speaking. "Ihoped that Tante would allow us to sew the ruby in the crown, but shewould not consent!" As she spoke, Hortense looked at Denise, MarieJosephine's sister, who sat opposite her.
Denise tossed her red-brown curls out of her eyes and pouted. The poutmade her look younger than her fourteen and a half years.
"You've made this one crookedly. You must do another one at once,Prote," she said, handing the maid a small black object.
"Yes, Mademoiselle," Prote answered. Marie Josephine]"Fasten this cord, please, Prote. It does not seem to be right the way Ihave done it!" Hortense held out another black object to the littlemaid, who took it smilingly, with a little bow which made her blackhair, gathered into a huge knob at the back of her neck, stand out likea big black bun.
Marie Josephine still stood by the fire, Flambeau beside her. She lookedat her brother as he spoke.
"Prote cannot do everything at once," he said. He sat in the deep shadowof the window seat at the far end of the room, his hands clasped abouthis knees.
Denise smiled at him over her shoulder as she answered: "You knownothing about these things, Lisle. You have nothing to do about them,but sit and look on. All that concerns you regarding them is that youare to wear the robe and crown at the De Soignes' ball!"
"Ball! You speak as though you were going to a ball. You are only twoyears older than Rosanne and I. There is no reason why we should nothave been invited. I should think they would be ashamed to leave Rosanneout of it all!" exclaimed Marie Josephine.
"Little Mademoiselle would like, perhaps, to make a bow for her hair? Arosette of this rose brocade and a bit of the gold tinsel would becomeher," suggested Prote, tying a neat knot in a corner of the piece ofblack cardboard which Hortense had handed her.
Marie Josephine shook her head. "No, Prote," she answered.
Flambeau came up to Denise and nosed at the bits of ribbon in her lap.Denise gave his head a pat.
"Would you not like Flambeau to have a big rose bow? Greyhounds alwayslook better with bows," she said.
Marie Josephine shook her head listlessly, but did not speak. A big rosebow would be charming for Flambeau, a puffy one under his right ear. Shewas not invited to the De Soigne party, therefore she would not appearto be interested in any of the glittering array on the table. She caughther brother's eyes. His head was thrown back against the dark,carved-oak window settle. He was looking straight at Marie Josephine,and she saw that he was smiling. She frowned at him with her straightblack brows, and he frowned back with his straight fair ones. MarieJosephine's frown was in earnest, but her brother's was in fun.
"What a thundercloud! What a dragon! What an ogress! What a----"
Marie Josephine stopped her brother's words with a stamp of her foot."You are not to say that, Lisle!" she exclaimed passionately.
"Don't tease her, my cousin. How can you do it?" reproved Hortense,rising as she spoke and going over to the fireplace. She laid both handson the carved, gilded mantelpiece and stood looking down at the dancingswirl of blue and gold. Suddenly she put her face in her hands.
Marie Josephine went up to her and touched her arm, forgetting her owntrouble for the moment. "What is it, Hortense? Why are you sad?" sheasked.
Hortense raised her face and smiled. "I'm not sad, cherie; not thisafternoon. It is only that now everything seems grey and dreadful, andTante is unhappy because so many of her friends have gone away, andbecause of everything."
"You'll have the party," Marie Josephine answered bitterly.
Her cousin put her arm about her for a moment and gave her a little hug."You want to go so badly. I do wish you could; but even if Madame deSoigne had asked you, Tante would never have allowed you to go. Twelveand a half doesn't sound much younger than fourteen and a half, but itis, you know," she said.
"I'm always treated like a baby," Marie Josephine replied. There was agood deal of truth in her words. She was small and quiet and shy. Shewould not be thirteen until November and that was three months away.
Lisle came up to the fire, stepping over Flambeau, who had settledhimself in the heat of the blaze, and pinched Marie Josephine's ear.
Prote came up to him with a collar of fluted gold tinsel and ermine."Will you allow me to see if it fits properly, Monsieur Lisle?" sheasked, putting her funny, plump face on one side as she examined herhandiwork.
"No, I'll not be bothered with frills to-day." Lisle frowned this timein earnest, rubbing his shoulders restlessly against the side of themantel and looking out of the window where dark trees tossed against agrey, stormy sky.
Hortense and Denise both spoke at once. "Lisle!" they exclaimed. Denisejumped up and came over to him, dragging a piece of blue velvet afterher and unmindful of the fact that a piece of black cardboard wassticking to her chin. They all burst out laughing as she clasped herhands together and burst into a torrent of words.
"Lisle, you're not going to be obstinate. You are going to be the SunKing at the ball, aren't you?" she pleaded.
Lisle shrugged his shoulders, saying teasingly: "We shall see. I'll notgo with you if you do not clean your face. A nice, grown-up duchess youwill make, with paste and black paper on your chin. I for one think it'sall nonsense. It's stupid of the De Soigne to have a party now."
Lisle was tall, and he held his blond head high, which made him lookeven taller and older than he was. He would not be sixteen until thefollowing winter. He had a very fair face with a pointed nose and blueeyes which had a straight unwinking way of looking at one. His cousinHortense, who had lived in his family since her infancy, was almost astall as he, but she was dark, like Marie Josephine. Strangers alwaystook them for sisters.
"I think it's splendid of the De Soigne to have the party!" Denisedanced mockingly in front of her brother as she spoke. He had consentedto allow Prote to try on the collar, but he stood frowning over hershoulder as she surveyed the effect.
Some one came in quickly from the nurseries beyond. It was a short,sharp-nosed woman in a black silk dress with wide, flowing sleeves and afichu of lace at the neck. This was Madame le Pont, the governess.
"There you are, cherie. I have been uneasy because I could not find you.Surely you have not been in the garden unattended!"
r /> "I wasn't in the garden. I was out on the balcony listening," MarieJosephine answered.
"Listening! What do you mean?" the governess asked her.
"The noises of Paris, Madame. There are so many noises now. Flambeau wasrestless last night. He heard them, too!"
There was a low rap on the door. It opened and a servant came in. Hewalked noiselessly about the room, a taper in his hand, and a momentlater lights flickered and then shone bravely from the many candles inbronze sockets on the tapestried walls. The servant made a bright bit ofcolor himself as he moved about in his trousers of crimson velvet.
"Madame la Comtesse wishes the young ladies, Mademoiselle Hortense andMademoiselle Denise, to accompany her in an hour's time to the house ofMadame la Comtesse de Soigne," he announced.
Denise gave a little laugh of pleasure and danced the whole length ofthe room and back again. Then she caught Flambeau's forepaws and triedto make him dance too, but the dog had such a bored expression thatDenise only laughed again and dropped his paws.
"It is only Marie Josephine that you love, is it not, Flambeau?" sheexclaimed, and then went on eagerly: "We shall enjoy talking about theball with the dear De Soigne. Prote, I wish to wear my white cloak inspite of the storm."
"I am tired of the very name of this ball!" Lisle walked over to thedoor as he spoke, but turned as Denise answered him.
"We are happy about it because we have had no fun in such a long time,now that everything is so different. Maman will not allow us to go outexcept in our own garden and to the De Soigne. It is only because theylive in the next square that we may go there at all," she said.
"Maman is foolish!" Lisle exclaimed, and the governess admonished him.
"Monsieur Lisle!"
"It is true, Madame le Pont. There is no real danger, not here in Paris.It is 1792, not the dark ages. Help will come from the royalists inEurope. It is only a question of being patient. It is not really arevolution, you know!"
Marie Josephine watched her brother with admiration as he spoke. Howtall and brave and confident he was!
The governess smiled sadly but she was cheerful enough when she spoke.
"Come at once, Mesdemoiselles," she said briskly. "Prote, tell Felicethat the young ladies wish their coiffures done at once, and see totheir mantles and hats yourself." Then she turned to Lisle, who stillstood lounging against the door.
"What will you do while they are away, Monsieur Lisle?" she asked.
Lisle smiled in his quiet, teasing way.
"I'm going to ride with my tutor, Madame," he answered.
Madame le Pont threw up her hands. "Please do not do it when it soworries Madame your mother. It makes her afraid when you are soreckless!" she exclaimed.
"You are never to say that my mother is afraid, if you please, Madame,"Lisle said and, as he spoke, he opened the door and went out.
Madame le Pont went over to the table and stood fingering the bits ofgold lace there. Marie Josephine watched her. Why had she not been toldthat she could go with Hortense and Denise? Rosanne de Soigne was hergreatest chum. They could have sat quietly in a corner and talked. MarieJosephine turned toward the nurseries and then looked back at thegoverness, who still stood by the table.
"Le Pont is worrying. She is uneasy like maman. This is a bad time.Grandfather said that it would come. He said to me: 'Little MarieJosephine, I can almost see the black clouds, they are so thick ahead ofus. But when they come I shall not be here, and I am the only one thatseems to know they are drifting toward us!'"
The governess looked up and when she looked at Marie Josephine it was asthough she had for the moment forgotten her.
"Little one, what will you do while I am away this afternoon? Prote willamuse you if you like. Perhaps you will work for a little while on thetapestry for your great-aunt?"
Marie Josephine shook her head vigorously. She stood thinking for amoment and then smiled up at the governess.
"I won't be lonely, Madame. I don't mind them at all. They may have asmany parties as they like. They may go out for gouter every afternoon.It is nothing to me. I do not care!" She spoke earnestly but she knewshe was not speaking the truth and the governess knew it also.
"But what will you do, then, all the rest of the afternoon?" Madame lePont insisted.
"I'll be thinking of grandfather," Marie Josephine answered.