[Sidenote:  An Alternative Plan]

By this time the others had joined us on the terrace.  They had all been up to fix their hats on, because even if you have been out, and are running out again just after, you always have to take your hat off, and make a toilette for dejeuner; it does seem waste of time.  The Baronne is considered quite eccentric because she keeps hers on sometimes.  I had not even a parasol.  Godmamma looked as if she thought it almost indecent.  Presently Jean and the Marquis came out of the smoking-room and joined us.  The Marquis at once began to pay compliments about the sun on my hair, and was really so clever in getting in little things, while he was talking to Godmamma, that I quite took to him.  Victorine had to converse with her future belle-mere all the time, and finally the carriage came round, and they went.

They were no sooner out of sight, than Godmamma said, with a long rigmarole, that she felt it her duty to you to look after me, and she must tell me that it was inconvenant for a young girl to smile or speak to a man as much as I had done to the Marquis.  I was so furious at that, that I said, as I found it impossible to understand their ways, I would ask Agnes to pack my things at once, if she would kindly spare a servant to go with a telegram to you, to say I was coming home immediately.  She was petrified at my answering her!  It appears no one else ever dares to; and she at once tried to smooth me down, especially when I said I should just like time to write and tell the Baronne why I was leaving, as she had been so kind to me.  After that they all tried to cajole me, except Victorine, who left the room and slammed the door.  And so I have consented to stay, and here I am finishing my letter to you.—­With best love, from your affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.

CHAMPS ELYSEES

Champs Elysees,

Friday, 26th August.

[Sidenote:  A Visit to the Dentist]

Dearest Mamma,—­You will be surprised to see this address, but Heloise and I are only staying here for the night, and go back to Croixmare to-morrow.  Early this morning she had bad toothache, and said she must go to Paris to see her dentist Godmamma and Jean made as much fuss about it as if the poor thing had suggested something quite unheard of; and one could see how she was suffering, by the way she kept her handkerchief up to her face.  Godmamma said she could not possibly accompany her, as she had to pay some important calls; and Jean had promised to be at St. Germain to see some horses with the Vicomte, so Heloise suggested I should go with her; and that we should stay the night at the appartement in the Champs Elysees, so that she could have two appointments with M. Adam, the dentist.  She has such beautiful teeth, it seems hard that they should ache, and I felt very sorry for her.  After a lot of talking it was arranged that we should go up by the 11 o’clock train, and accordingly we started with as much fuss as if we had been departing for a month.  We had no sooner got to Paris than Heloise felt better.  She left me to go on with the maids and luggage to the Champs Elysees, while she went to see M. Adam.