stile exactly, but sharply observant and expectant.

"Blanche," said Zulma at length in a voice whose musical softness was as
that of a mother's appeal. "_Bon jour_, Blanche. You do not know me. My
name is Zulma Sarpy."

There was no fear in the child's face from the first. Now all doubt and
hesitation disappeared from it. She did not smile, but a beautiful
serenity spread over it. She joined her two little thin hands together,
open palm to palm, and instead of approaching, retreated a step or two
as if to make way for her visitor. Zulma entered and closed the door.

"I have come to see you, Blanche. Your grandfather has spoken to me of
you, and I want to do something for you."

The child answered brightly that her grandfather had indeed mentioned
mademoiselle Sarpy's name and told her how good she had been to him and
how she had promised to be her friend. Both Zulma and Blanche being now
perfectly at ease, our old acquaintance Velours testified her
satisfaction at this issue of affairs by curving her long back and
rubbing herself against the hem of Zulma's cloak. Blanche gave her
visitor a seat, helped her to take off her furs, and soon the two were
engaged in earnest discourse. Zulma looked around the room and moved
about to examine the many articles of its quaint furniture. This
afforded her the opportunity of asking many questions, to all of which
Blanche returned the most intelligent answers. Indeed, the child gave
proofs of very remarkable intelligence. There was patent in her a wisdom
far beyond her years. It was something different from the usual
precocity, because the range of her information was limited enough, and
there was sufficient simplicity in her discourse to eliminate that
feeling of anxiety and pain which we always experience in the presence
of abnormally developed children. Zulma made her tell all about her
grandfather, and thus learned curious details concerning a character
which she intensely admired, notwithstanding the mystery which was set
like a seal upon it--a mystery which Blanche's unconscious revelations
rendered only deeper and more provokingly interesting. She spoke to the
child, too, of her godmother, Pauline, and it was a delight to learn
from those truthful lips how much more loveable her dear friend was than
she had ever suspected. Zulma felt that her visit was more than repaid
by the insight she thus gained into the characters of Pauline and
Batoche.

Then she broached higher th