"But it was a tiresome life for a young girl with American blood in her,

monsieur." Her mother's income from her husband's estate was not large,

but they lived in a wing of the old house and were very comfortable. From

her window there was a lovely view of the Seine winding off to Paris.

"Oh, monsieur, how I used to long to go to Paris! America was too far. I

never even dreamed of it. But Paris! And only two little glimpses of

it--the last when we spent a fortnight there before sailing, to get me

some nice frocks...."

She had studied hard--but hard! She knew four languages, she told Ruyler

proudly. "I had no dot then, you see. It was possible I might have to

teach one day. A governess in England, Oh, la! la!"

But six months ago a good old uncle had died and left them some money.

She would have a little dot now, and they could travel. Maman said she

would not have a large enough dot to make a fine marriage in France,

but that the English and American men were more romantic. They went first

to the Orient, as there were many Englishmen of good family to be met

there. "But maman is difficult to please," she added with her enchanting

artlessness, "as difficult as I myself, monsieur. I wish to fall in love

like the American girls. Maman says it is not necessary, but I am half

American, so, why not? There was an English gentleman with a nice title

in Hong Kong and maman was quite pleased with him until she discovered

that he gambled or did something equally horrid and she bought our

tickets for San Francisco right away."

Yes, she was enjoying her travels, but she was a little lonesome; in

Rouen at least she had her cousins. For the first time in her life she

was talking to a young man alone; even on the steamer she was not

permitted to speak to any of the nice young men who looked as if they

would like her if only maman would relent.

"In our ugly old rooms in Rouen maman cherished me like some rare little

flower in an old earthen pot," she added quaintly. "Now the pot has

tinsel and tissue paper round it, but until to-night I have felt as if I

might just as well be an old cabbage."

But it had been heaven to dance with a young man who was not a cousin;

and to sit out alone with him in the moonlight, Oh, grace a Dieu!




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