But the girls who were sitting on the hard benches by the table were still more squalid and dreary-looking.  Their faces were pinched, and just now blue with cold, and their hands were swollen and red with chilblains.  They had a cowed and frightened expression, and peeped askance at us as we went in behind madame.  Minima pressed closely to me, and clasped my hand tightly in her little fingers.  We were both entering upon the routine of a new life, and the first introduction to it was disheartening.

“Three are English,” said madame, “and three are French.  The English are frileuses; they are always sheever, sheever, sheever.  Behold, how they have fingers red and big!  Bah! it is disgusting.”

She rapped one of the swollen hands which lay upon the table, and the girl dropped it out of sight upon her lap, with a frightened glance at the woman.  Minima’s fingers tightened upon mine.  The head governess, a Frenchwoman of about thirty, with a number of little black papillotes circling about her head, was now introduced to me; and an animated conversation followed between her and madame.

“You comprehend the French?” asked the latter, turning with a suspicious look to me.

“No,” I answered; “I know very little of it yet.”

“Good!” she replied.  “We will eat breakfast.”

“But I have not made my toilet,” I objected; “there was neither washingstand nor dressing-table in my room.”

“Bah!” she said, scornfully; “there are no gentlemans here.  No person will see you.  You make your toilet before the promenade; not at this moment.”

It was evident that uncomplaining submission was expected, and no remonstrance would be of avail.  Breakfast was being brought in by one of the pupils.  It consisted of a teacupful of coffee at the bottom of a big basin, which was placed before each of us, a large tablespoon to feed ourselves with; and a heaped plateful of hunches of bread, similar to those I had turned from last night.  But I could fast no longer.  I sat down with the rest at the long table, and ate my food with a sinking and sorrowful heart.

Minima drank her scanty allowance of coffee thirstily, and then asked, in a timid voice, if she could have a little more.  Madame’s eyes glared upon her, and her voice snapped out an answer; while the English girls looked frightened, and drew in their bony shoulders, as if such temerity made them shudder.  As soon as madame was gone, the child flung her arms around me, and hid her face in my bosom.

“Oh!” she cried, “don’t you leave me; don’t forsake me!  I have to stay here four years, and it will kill me.  I shall die if you go away and leave me.”

I soothed her as best I could, without promising to remain in this trap.  Would it not be possible in some way to release her as well as myself?  I sat thinking through the long cold morning, with the monotonous hum of lessons in my ears.  There was nothing for me to do, and I found that I could not return to the house where I had slept, and where my luggage was, until night came again.  I sat all the morning in the chilly room, with Minima on the floor at my feet, clinging to me for protection and warmth, such as I could give.