"I wish," continued the good lady, "you would ask her a question or

two about her parents: I wonder if she remembers them?"

"Adele," I inquired, "with whom did you live when you were in that

pretty clean town you spoke of?"

"I lived long ago with mama; but she is gone to the Holy Virgin.

Mama used to teach me to dance and sing, and to say verses. A great

many gentlemen and ladies came to see mama, and I used to dance

before them, or to sit on their knees and sing to them: I liked it.

Shall I let you hear me sing now?"

She had finished her breakfast, so I permitted her to give a

specimen of her accomplishments. Descending from her chair, she

came and placed herself on my knee; then, folding her little hands

demurely before her, shaking back her curls and lifting her eyes to

the ceiling, she commenced singing a song from some opera. It was

the strain of a forsaken lady, who, after bewailing the perfidy of

her lover, calls pride to her aid; desires her attendant to deck her

in her brightest jewels and richest robes, and resolves to meet the

false one that night at a ball, and prove to him, by the gaiety of

her demeanour, how little his desertion has affected her.

The subject seemed strangely chosen for an infant singer; but I

suppose the point of the exhibition lay in hearing the notes of love

and jealousy warbled with the lisp of childhood; and in very bad

taste that point was: at least I thought so.

Adele sang the canzonette tunefully enough, and with the naivete of

her age. This achieved, she jumped from my knee and said, "Now,

Mademoiselle, I will repeat you some poetry."

Assuming an attitude, she began, "La Ligue des Rats: fable de La

Fontaine." She then declaimed the little piece with an attention to

punctuation and emphasis, a flexibility of voice and an

appropriateness of gesture, very unusual indeed at her age, and

which proved she had been carefully trained.

"Was it your mama who taught you that piece?" I asked.

"Yes, and she just used to say it in this way: 'Qu' avez vous donc?

lui dit un de ces rats; parlez!' She made me lift my hand--so--to

remind me to raise my voice at the question. Now shall I dance for

you?"

"No, that will do: but after your mama went to the Holy Virgin, as

you say, with whom did you live then?"




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