CHAPTER VI.
AMONG THE SOFAS AND CHAIRS.
"They wake to feel That the world is a changeful place to live in, And almost wonder if all is real."
LAVENDER LADY.
So it was rather a woe-begone looking little couple, crouching togetherin the blanket, that met old Madame Nestor's eyes when, followed by thelittle servant with the biggest basin the establishment boasted of, andcarrying herself a queer-shaped tin jug full of hot water and with agood supply of nice white towels over her arm, she entered the roomagain.
"How now, my little dears?" she exclaimed; "not crying, surely? Why,there's nothing to cry for!"
Gladys wiped her eyes with the skirt of her little nightgown, and lookedup. She did not know what the old woman was saying, but her tone was askind as ever. It was very satisfactory, too, to see the basin, small asit was, and still more, the plentiful hot water.
"Thank you, ma'am," said Gladys gravely, and nudging Roger to do thesame. Everybody, she had noticed the day before, had called the old lady"madame," but that was the French for "ma'am" Leonie had told her, soshe stuck to her native colours.
"Thank you," repeated Roger, but without the "ma'am." "It sounds sosilly, nobody says it but servants," he maintained to Gladys, and nodoubt it mattered very little whether he said it or not, as MadameNestor didn't understand, though she was quick enough to see that herlittle guests meant to say something civil and kind. And the washing wasaccomplished--I cannot say without difficulty, for Roger tried to standin the basin and very nearly split it in two, and there was a greatsplashing of water over the wooden floor--on the whole with success.
Poor Madame Nestor! When she had at last got her charges safely intotheir various garments, she sat down on a chair by the bed and fairlypanted!
"It's much harder than cooking a dinner," she said to herself. "I can'tthink how my cousin Marie could stand it, if they have this sort ofbusiness every morning with English children. And five, six of them asthere are sometimes! The English are a curious nation."
But she turned as smilingly as ever to Gladys and Roger; and Gladys,seeing that she was tired, and being sensible enough to understand thatthe kind old woman was really giving herself a great deal of trouble fortheir sake, went and stood close beside her, and gently stroked her, asshe sometimes used to do--when Miss Susan was not there, be itremarked--to Mrs. Lacy.
"I wish I knew how to say 'thank you' in French," said Gladys to Roger.But Madame Nestor had understood her.
"Little dear," she said in her own language, "she thinks I am tired."The word caught Gladys's ear--"fatigued," she interrupted, "I know whatthat means. Poor Mrs. Nest," she explained to her little brother, "shesays she's fatigued. I think we should kiss her, Roger," and bothchildren lifted up their soft fresh rosy lips to the old woman, whichwas a language that needed no translation.
"Little dears," she repeated again, "but, all the same, I hope we shallsoon have some news from the Papa. Ah!" she interrupted herself; "butthere is the clock striking nine, and my breakfast not seen to. I musthasten, but what to do with these angels while I am in the kitchen?"
"Take them with you; children are very fond of being in a kitchen whenthey may," would have seemed a natural reply. But not to those who knowwhat a Paris kitchen is. Even those of large grand houses would astonishmany English children and big people, too, who have never happened tosee them, and Madame Nestor's kitchen was really no better than acupboard, and a cupboard more than half filled up with the stove, in andon which everything was cooked. There could be no question of taking thechildren into the kitchen, and the tiny room behind the shop was verydark and dull. Still it was the only place, and thither their old friendled them, telling them she must now go to cook the breakfast and theymust try to amuse themselves; in the afternoon she would perhaps sendthem out a walk.
Two words in this were intelligible to Gladys.
"We are to be amused, Roger," she said, "and we are to promenade, thatmeans a walk where the band plays like at Whitebeach last summer. Iwonder where it can be?"
The glass door which led into the shop had a little curtain across it,but one corner was loose. This Gladys soon discovered.
"See here, Roger," she said, "we can peep into the shop and see if anyone comes in. Won't that be fun?"
Roger took his turn of peeping.
"It aren't a pretty shop," he said, "it's all chairs and tables. I'dlike a toy-shop, Gladdie, wouldn't you?"
"It wouldn't be much good if we mightn't play with the toys," Gladysreplied. "But I'll tell you what, Roger, we might play at beautifulgames of houses in there. We could have that corner where there are thepretty blue chairs for our drawing-room, and we might pay visits. Or Imight climb in there behind that big sofa and be a princess in a giant'scastle, and you might come and fight with the giant and get me out."
"And who'd be the giant?" asked Roger.
"Oh, we can _pretend_ him. I can make a dreadful _booing_ when I see youcoming, and you can pretend you see him. But you must have a sword.What would do for a sword?" she went on, looking round. "They haven'teven a poker! I wish we had Miss Susan's umbrella."
"Here's one!" exclaimed Roger, spying the umbrella of Monsieur Adolphe,Madame Nestor's son, in a corner of the room. It was still rather damp,for poor Adolphe had had to come over in the heavy rain early thatmorning from the neighbouring inn where he had slept, having, as youknow, given up his room to the two little strangers, and his motherwould have scolded him had she noticed that he had put it down alldripping, though as the floor was a stone one it did not much matter.And the children were not particular. They screwed up the wet folds andbuttoned the elastic, and then shouldering it, Roger felt quite ready tofight the imaginary giant.
There was a little difficulty about opening the door into the shop, andrather _too_ little about shutting it, for it closed with a spring, andnearly snapped Roger and his umbrella in two. But he was none the worsesave a little bump on his head, which Gladys persuaded him not to cryabout. It would never do to cry about a knock when he was going to fightthe giant, she assured him, and then she set to work, planning thecastle and the way Roger was to come creeping through the forest,represented by chairs and stools of every shape, so that he grew quiteinterested and forgot all his troubles.
It really turned out a very amusing game, and when it was over theytried hide-and-seek, which would have been famous fun--there were somany hiding-holes among the bales of stuffs and pillows and uncoveredcushions lying about--if they had had one or two more to play at it withthem! But to playfellows they were little accustomed, so they did notmuch miss them, and they played away contentedly enough, though quietly,as was their habit. And so it came about that Madame Nestor neverdoubted that they were in the little back-room where she had left them,when a ring at the front door of the shop announced a customer.
This door was also half of glass, and when it was opened a bell rang.Gladys and Roger were busy looking for new hiding-places when the suddensound of the bell startled them.
"Somebody's coming in," whispered Gladys; "Roger, let's hide. Don't letthem see us; we don't know who they are," and quick as thought shestooped down in a corner, drawing her little brother in beside her.
From where they were they could peep out. Two ladies entered the shop,one young and one much older. The face of the older one Gladys did notdistinctly see, or perhaps she did not much care to look at it, soimmediately did the younger one seize her fancy. She was very pretty andpleasant-looking, with bright brown hair and sweet yet merry eyes, andas she threw herself down on a seat which stood near the door, Gladyswas able to see that she was neatly and prettily dressed.
"Aren't you tired, Auntie?" she said to the other lady.
"A little. It is farther than I thought, and we have not much time. Iwonder what colour will be prettiest for the curtains, Rosamond?"
"The shade of blue on that sofa over in the corner is pretty," said theyoung lady.
Gladys pinched Roger. It
was precisely behind the blue-covered sofa thatthey were hiding.
"I wish they would be quick," said the elder lady. "Perhaps they did nothear the bell."
"Shall I go to the door and ring it again?" asked the one calledRosamond.
"I don't know; perhaps it would be better to tap at the glass doorleading into the house. Madame Nestor sits in there, I fancy. Shegenerally comes out at that door."
"I don't fancy she is there now," said the young lady. "You see we havecome so early. It has generally been in the afternoon that we have come.Madame Nestor is probably busy about her 'household avocations' at thishour," she added, with a smile.
"I wonder what that means," whispered Gladys. "I suppose it means thedinner."
Just at that moment the door opened, and Madame Nestor appeared, ratherin a flutter. She was so sorry to have kept the ladies waiting, and howunfortunate! Her son had just gone to their house with the patterns forthe curtains. He would have sent yesterday to ask at what hour theladies would be at home, but they had all been so busy--an unexpectedarrival--and Madame Nestor would have gone on to give all the story ofLeonie's sudden visit to beg a shelter for the two little waifs, had notthe ladies, who knew of old the good dame's long stories, cut her shortas politely as they could.
"We are very hurried," said the one whom the young lady called "auntie.""I think the best thing to be done is to get home as quickly as we can,and perhaps we shall still find your son there; if not, he will nodoubt have left the patterns, so please tell him to try to come thisevening or to-morrow morning before twelve, for we must have thecurtains this week."
Of course--of course--Madame Nestor agreed to everything as amiably aspossible, and the ladies turned to go.
"Are you much troubled with mice?" said the younger lady as they wereleaving. "I have heard queer little noises two or three times over inthat corner near the blue sofa while we were speaking."
Old Madame Nestor started.
"Mice!" she exclaimed. "I hope not. It would be very serious forus--with so many beautiful stuffs about. I must make them examine, andif necessary get a cat. We have not had a cat lately--the last wasstolen, she was such a beauty, and----"
And on the old body would have chattered for another half-hour, Idaresay, had not the ladies again repeated that they were very hurriedand must hasten home.
The idea of mice had taken hold of Madame Nestor's mind; it made her forthe moment forget the children, though in passing through the littleroom where she had left them she had wondered where they were. Shehurried into the workroom to relate her fears, and Gladys and Roger, assoon as she had left the shop, jumped up, not sorry to stretch theirlegs after having kept them still for nearly a quarter of an hour.
"I wonder if she'd be angry at our playing here," said Gladys. "What funit was hiding and those ladies not knowing we were there! I think theywere nice ladies, but I wish they had kept on talking properly. I likedto hear what they said."
"Why doesn't everybody talk properly here if some does?" asked Roger.
"I suppose," said Gladys, though she had not thought of it before, ithad seemed so natural to hear people talking as she had always heardpeople talk--"I suppose those ladies are English. I wish they had talkedto _us_, Roger. Perhaps they know Papa."
"They couldn't talk to us when they didn't know us was there," saidRoger, with which Gladys could not disagree. But it made her feel rathersorry not to have spoken to the ladies--it would have been very nice tohave found some one who could understand what they said.
"I wish we hadn't been hiding," she was going to say, but she wasstopped by a great bustle which began to make itself heard in thesitting-room, and suddenly the door into the shop opened, and in rushedMadame Nestor, followed by the servant and two or three of theworkpeople.
"Where are they, then? Where can they have gone, the poor littleangels?" exclaimed the old lady, while the servant and the others ranafter her repeating:
"Calm yourself, Madame, calm yourself. They cannot have strayedfar--they will be found."
Though the children could not understand the words, they could not_mis_understand the looks and the tones, and, above all, the distress intheir kind old friend's face. They were still half hidden, though theywere no longer crouching down on the floor. Out ran Gladys, followed byRoger.
"Are you looking for us, Mrs. Nest?" she said. "Here we are! We've onlybeen playing at hiding among the chairs and sofas."
Madame Nestor sank down exhausted on the nearest arm-chair.
"Oh, but you have given me a fright," she panted out. "I could notimagine where they had gone," she went on, turning to the others. "Ileft them as quiet as two little mice in there," pointing to thesitting-room, "and the moment my back was turned off they set."
"It is always like that with children," said Mademoiselle Anna, theforewoman. She was a young woman with very black hair and very blackeyes and a very haughty expression. No one liked her much in theworkroom--she was so sharp and so unamiable. But she was very clever atmaking curtains and covering chairs and sofas, and she had very goodtaste, so Madame Nestor, who was, besides, the kindest woman in theworld, kept her, though she disliked her temper and pride.
"Poor little things--we have all been children in our day," said MadameNestor.
"That is possible," replied Mademoiselle Anna, "but all the same, thereare children and children. I told you, Madame, and you will see I wasright; you do not know the trouble you will have with these two littleforeigners--brought up who knows how--and a queer story altogether itseems to me," she added, with a toss of her head.
Gladys and Roger had drawn near Madame Nestor. Gladys was truly sorry tosee how frightened their old friend had been, and she wished she knewhow to say so to her. But when Mademoiselle Anna went on talking,throwing disdainful glances in their direction, the children shrankback. They could not understand what she was saying, but they _felt_ shewas talking of them, and they had already noticed her sharp unkindlyglances the evening before.
"Why is she angry with us?" whispered Roger.
But Gladys shook her head. "I don't know," she replied. "She isn't askind as Mrs. Nest and her son. Oh I do wish Papa would come for us,Roger!"
"So do I," said the little fellow.
But five minutes after, he had forgotten their troubles, for MadameNestor took them into the long narrow room where she and her son andsome of their workpeople had their meals, and established them at oneend of the table, to have what _she_ called their "breakfast," but whatto the children seemed their dinner. She was very kind to them, and gavethem what she thought they would like best to eat, and some things,especially an omelette, they found very good. But the meat they did notcare about.
"It's so greasy, I can't eat it," said Gladys, after doing her best forfear Madame Nestor should think her rude. And Roger, who did not so muchmind the greasiness of the gravy, could not eat it either because itwas cooked with carrots, to which he had a particular dislike. They werenot dainty children generally, but the stuffy room, and the differentkind of cooking, and above all, perhaps, the want of their usual morningwalk, seemed to take away their appetite. And the sight of MademoiselleAnna's sharp contemptuous face across the table did not mend matters.
"I wish we had some plain cold meat and potatoes," said Gladys, "likewhat we had at home. I could even like some nice plain bread andbutter."
"Not _this_ bread," said Roger, who was beginning to look doleful again."I don't like the taste of this bread."
So they both sat, watching all that was going on, but eating nothingthemselves, till Madame Nestor, who had been busy carving, caught sightof them.
"They do not eat, those poor dears," she said to her son; "I fear thefood is not what they are accustomed to--but I cannot understand themnor they me. It is too sad! Can you not try to find out what they wouldlike, Adolphe? You who speak English?"
Monsieur Adolphe got very red; he was not generally shy, but hisEnglish, which he was rather given to boasting of when there was no needfor using it,
seemed less ready than his mother had expected. However,like her, he was very kind-hearted, and the sight of the two grave palelittle faces troubled him. He went round to their side of the table.
"You not eat?" he said. "Miss and Sir not eat nothing. Find not good?"
Gladys's face brightened. It was something to have some one whounderstood a little, however little.
"Oh yes," she said, timidly afraid of appearing uncivil, "it is verygood; but we are not hungry. We are not accustomed to rich things. Mightwe--" she went on timidly, "do you think we might have a little breadand butter?"
Monsieur Adolphe hesitated. He found it much more difficult than he hadhad any idea of to understand what Gladys said, though she spoke veryplainly and clearly.
"Leetle--leetle?" he repeated.
"A little bread and butter," said Gladys again. This time he understood.
"Bread and butter; I will go see," he answered, and then he hurried backto his mother, still busy at the side-table.
"They do not seem accustomed to eat meat," he said, "they ask for breadand butter."
"The greedy little things!" exclaimed Mademoiselle Anna, who had got upfrom her seat on pretence of handing a plate to Madame Nestor, but inreality to hear all that was going on. "How can they be so bold?"
"It is the custom in England," said the old lady. "My cousin has oftentold me how the children there eat so much bread and butter. But I haveno fresh butter in the house. Would not preserves please them? Here,Francoise," she went on, calling to the little servant. "Fetch somepreserves from the cupboard, and give some with some bread to the poorlittle angels."
"What a to-do to be sure!" muttered Anna to Adolphe. "I only hope yourmother will be paid for the trouble she is giving herself, but I muchdoubt it. I believe it is all a trick to get rid of the two littleplagues. English of the good classes do not leave their children toanybody's tender mercies in that way!"
"That is true," said Adolphe, who, though he had a good deal of hismother's kind-heartedness, was easily impressed by what Anna said. "Andthey have certainly a curious accent. I had difficulty in understandingthem. I never heard an accent like it in English."
"Exactly," said Anna, tossing her head, "they are little cheats--no onewill come for them, and no money will be sent. You will see--and so willyour mother. But it will be too late. She should have thought twicebefore taking on herself such a charge."
"I am quite of your opinion," said Adolphe. "Something must be done; mymother must be made to hear reason. If no one comes to fetch them in aday or two we must do something--even if I have to take them myself tothe English Embassy."
"Quite right, quite right, Monsieur Adolphe," said Anna spitefully.
But Madame Nestor heard nothing of what they were saying. She was seatedquite contentedly beside the children, happy to see them enjoying thebread and jam which they much preferred to the greasy meat, even thoughthe bread tasted a little sour, though she could not persuade them totake any wine.
"It isn't good for children," said Gladys gravely, looking up into herface. But poor Madame Nestor shook her head.
"It is no use, my dears," she said in her own language. "I cannotunderstand! Dear me--I do wish the Papa would come. Poor dear angels--Ifear I cannot make them happy! But at least I can wash up the dishes forFrancoise and let her take them out a walk. You will like that--a nicepromenade, will you not?"
Gladys jumped up joyfully.
"The promenade, Roger--we're going to hear the band play. Won't that benice? Come let us go quick and get ready."
Madame Nestor was enchanted.