’I weel let her go.  Wat old fool are you, Mary Queence!  She is mad, I think.  She ‘as lost hair head.’

‘Oh, Mary, cry from the window.  Stop the carriage!’ I cried.

Mary looked out, but there was by this time, of course, nothing in sight.

‘Why don’t a you stop the carriage?’ sneered Madame.  ’Call a the coachman and the postilion.  W’ere is the footman?  Bah! elle a le cerveau mal timbre.’

‘Oh, Mary, Mary, is it gone—­is it gone?  Is there nothing there?’ cried I, rushing to the window; and turning to Madame, after a vain straining of my eyes, my face against the glass—­

’Oh, cruel, cruel, wicked woman! why have you done this?  What was it to you?  Why do you persecute me?  What good can you gain by my ruin?’

’Rueen!  Par bleu! ma chere, you talk too fast.  Did not a you see it, Mary Queence?  It was the doctor’s carriage, and Mrs. Jolks, and that eempudent faylow, young Jolks, staring up to the window, and Mademoiselle she come in soche shocking deshabille to show herself knocking at the window.  ’Twould be very nice thing, Mary Queence, don’t you think?’

I was sitting now on the bedside, crying in mere despair.  I did not care to dispute or to resist.  Oh! why had rescue come so near, only to prove that it could not reach me?  So I went on crying, with a clasping of my hands and turning up of my eyes, in incoherent prayer.  I was not thinking of Madame, or of Mary Quince, or any other person, only babbling my anguish and despair helplessly in the ear of heaven.

’I did not think there was soche fool.  Wat enfant gate!  My dear cheaile, wat a can you mean by soche strange language and conduct?  Wat for should a you weesh to display yourself in the window in soche ’orrible deshabille to the people in the doctor’s coach?’

’It was Cousin Knollys—­Cousin Knollys.  Oh, Cousin Knollys!  You’re gone—­you’re gone—­you’re gone!’

‘And if it was Lady Knollys’ coach, there was certainly a coachman and a footman; and whoever has the coach there was young gentlemen in it.  If it was Lady Knollys’ carriage it would ‘av been worse than the doctor.’

’It is no matter—­it is all over.  Oh, Cousin Monica, your poor Maud—­where is she to turn?  Is there no help?’

That evening Madame visited me again, in one of her sedate and moral moods.  She found me dejected and passive, as she had left me.

‘I think, Maud, there is news; but I am not certain.’

I raised my head and looked at her wistfully.

‘I think there is letter of bad news from the attorney in London.’

‘Oh!’ I said, in a tone which I am sure implied the absolute indifference of dejection.

’But, my dear Maud, if’t be so, we shall go at once, you and me, to join Meess Millicent in France.  La belle France!  You weel like so moche!  We shall be so gay.  You cannot imagine there are such naice girl there.  They all love a me so moche, you will be delight.’