you…Mademoiselle Artois for instance.”
“That old fool!”
“She’s not an old fool. She’s probably a good deal wiser than you are. Tell me, where did you go? Why did you go? It’s not the first time, is it?”
“Who are you—the Grand Inquisitor?”
“No. Just someone to whom you owe an explanation.”
“I owe you nothing.”
“I could go along and tell Mademoiselle Artois what I saw last night…creeping into the house…pretending to be a ghost. So you are the ghost Janet Carew saw!”
She began to laugh. “So you are a sneak as well as a spy! It was a jolly good idea. It scared them. I got the idea when Marie Christine went walking. I thought if they heard me, they’d think she was sleepwalking again and wouldn’t bother. I thought the veil would be a good idea if anyone should see. They wouldn’t recognize me under it.”
“I recognized you.”
“Oh, well, you’re my dear old friend Lucinda, aren’t you?”
“Annabelinda,” I said, reverting to her proper name. “What were you doing?”
“That’s better,” she said. “I hate ‘Anna B.’ Never call me that again once we are away from here.”
“You’re changing the subject. What were you doing?”
“I felt like a walk.”
“Where to?”
“Just round the grounds. Perhaps I liked playing the ghost.”
“It was very dangerous. Do you want to be expelled?”
“I wouldn’t be.”
“I guess you would.”
“Of course not. Grandpère Bourdon is a great friend of Madame Rochère’s. They would work something out. He would plead for me.”
“You were taking a risk.”
“Haven’t you yet learned that I like taking risks?”
“Tell me what all this is about. I don’t believe you did all that just because you felt like a midnight stroll in the grounds.”
“You’re getting too clever, little Lucinda.”
“Which means you are not going to tell me. But Lucia knows.”
“Lucia’s a good sort.”
“She’s another such as you are.”
“Well, that may be so.”
“Where did you go, Annabelinda?”
“I’ll tell you when you’re eighteen.”
“Don’t be absurd!”
“You’ll understand then. And perhaps you will have done the same thing yourself.”
Her eyes were dancing. I felt it was so mysterious, but I knew she was not going to tell me.
“I’m going in now,” she said. “Mustn’t be late for conversazione, must we? So let’s be good little girls. Come on.”
Later, when I saw her giggling with Lucia as though they were sharing secrets, I felt bitterly hurt.
The Indiscretion
C HRISTMAS WAS NOW ALMOST upon us. Bustle and preparation permeated the house.
A party of students went into Mons in the company of Miss Carruthers and Mademoiselle du Pont, who taught French, to buy presents for friends at home.
It was only a short journey by train and Miss Carruthers was very eager that we should see some of what she called “the points of interest” before we spent our time in the frivolous pleasure of gift selecting.
She lectured us as we chuffed along.
“Now, girls, you must know that Mons is situated between the Trouille and Haine rivers at the junction of two canals. One of these was built by Napoleon. Mons was at one time a Roman camp and it is the capital of the province of Hainaut.”
None of us was paying full attention to this; we were all consulting our gift lists. Anna B was looking a little preoccupied. She was sitting with Lucia and talking to her now and then, but I thought she was somewhat bored with the whole proceedings.
After arriving in the town, Miss Carruthers insisted we do a little sightseeing. We were all afraid that there would be too little time left for shopping. We went to see the Church of St. Waudru and the belfry famous for its forty-seven-bell carillon.
“And, girls,” said Miss Carruthers, “the Battle of Malplaquet was fought and won by our own great Duke of Marlborough not far from here.”
At last we were allowed our freedom, and I have to admit
“That old fool!”
“She’s not an old fool. She’s probably a good deal wiser than you are. Tell me, where did you go? Why did you go? It’s not the first time, is it?”
“Who are you—the Grand Inquisitor?”
“No. Just someone to whom you owe an explanation.”
“I owe you nothing.”
“I could go along and tell Mademoiselle Artois what I saw last night…creeping into the house…pretending to be a ghost. So you are the ghost Janet Carew saw!”
She began to laugh. “So you are a sneak as well as a spy! It was a jolly good idea. It scared them. I got the idea when Marie Christine went walking. I thought if they heard me, they’d think she was sleepwalking again and wouldn’t bother. I thought the veil would be a good idea if anyone should see. They wouldn’t recognize me under it.”
“I recognized you.”
“Oh, well, you’re my dear old friend Lucinda, aren’t you?”
“Annabelinda,” I said, reverting to her proper name. “What were you doing?”
“That’s better,” she said. “I hate ‘Anna B.’ Never call me that again once we are away from here.”
“You’re changing the subject. What were you doing?”
“I felt like a walk.”
“Where to?”
“Just round the grounds. Perhaps I liked playing the ghost.”
“It was very dangerous. Do you want to be expelled?”
“I wouldn’t be.”
“I guess you would.”
“Of course not. Grandpère Bourdon is a great friend of Madame Rochère’s. They would work something out. He would plead for me.”
“You were taking a risk.”
“Haven’t you yet learned that I like taking risks?”
“Tell me what all this is about. I don’t believe you did all that just because you felt like a midnight stroll in the grounds.”
“You’re getting too clever, little Lucinda.”
“Which means you are not going to tell me. But Lucia knows.”
“Lucia’s a good sort.”
“She’s another such as you are.”
“Well, that may be so.”
“Where did you go, Annabelinda?”
“I’ll tell you when you’re eighteen.”
“Don’t be absurd!”
“You’ll understand then. And perhaps you will have done the same thing yourself.”
Her eyes were dancing. I felt it was so mysterious, but I knew she was not going to tell me.
“I’m going in now,” she said. “Mustn’t be late for conversazione, must we? So let’s be good little girls. Come on.”
Later, when I saw her giggling with Lucia as though they were sharing secrets, I felt bitterly hurt.
The Indiscretion
C HRISTMAS WAS NOW ALMOST upon us. Bustle and preparation permeated the house.
A party of students went into Mons in the company of Miss Carruthers and Mademoiselle du Pont, who taught French, to buy presents for friends at home.
It was only a short journey by train and Miss Carruthers was very eager that we should see some of what she called “the points of interest” before we spent our time in the frivolous pleasure of gift selecting.
She lectured us as we chuffed along.
“Now, girls, you must know that Mons is situated between the Trouille and Haine rivers at the junction of two canals. One of these was built by Napoleon. Mons was at one time a Roman camp and it is the capital of the province of Hainaut.”
None of us was paying full attention to this; we were all consulting our gift lists. Anna B was looking a little preoccupied. She was sitting with Lucia and talking to her now and then, but I thought she was somewhat bored with the whole proceedings.
After arriving in the town, Miss Carruthers insisted we do a little sightseeing. We were all afraid that there would be too little time left for shopping. We went to see the Church of St. Waudru and the belfry famous for its forty-seven-bell carillon.
“And, girls,” said Miss Carruthers, “the Battle of Malplaquet was fought and won by our own great Duke of Marlborough not far from here.”
At last we were allowed our freedom, and I have to admit
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