proached her ear to the door and discovered that the crying child
must be in one of the side rooms, to which there was no separate
entrance from the corridor. A few seconds more and the last doubt
vanished. Without taking time for reflection, without knocking, she
opened the door and stepped into the narrow hall between Nelida's
_salon_ and bedroom.

The doors of both the adjoining rooms stood half open. In the _salon_
sat Stephanopulos before the piano, improvising like a madman with the
most utter disregard of harmony, for he had been his own teacher on the
piano. He did not notice Julie, but went on abusing the keys. It was
not clear whether he was doing this in order to drown the noise of the
crying, or to divert the distressed child's thoughts. For through the
other door Julie now unmistakably heard the sobbing of little Frances,
and the voice of a woman trying to soothe and comfort her. But before
she had time to enter, an elderly lady, in hat and shawl, appeared on
the threshold.

"Is it you, Nanette?" cried the old singer. "Is the carriage ready? Are
the trunks strapped on? It's high time. The child--Good God!--what is
this? You here?"

Julie did not give her time to slam the door and bolt it. She hastily
pushed past the astonished woman, and entered the sleeping-chamber.

She was received with a cry of fright. Before a table, on which were
piled all sorts of presents, flowers, cakes, and toys, as if for a
birthday celebration, stood the child, a big doll in one arm and a
paper of candy in the other, but weeping as bitterly all the while as
if these presents had been given her as a punishment. A woman, still
young but past her first youth, knelt on the carpet beside her, her
soft face bent down over the curly head of the child, apparently doing
all in her power to quiet the little creature. But now she sprang to
her feet and stared at Julie as if she had been a ghost.

The countess lay stretched out on a sofa, in the back part of the room,
holding in her hand a newspaper, that fell into her lap when she
suddenly became aware of this unexpected caller, who was now standing
in the middle of the chamber.

The next moment the child let everything it had in its arms fall on the
carpet, and, uttering a loud cry of joy, rushed into Julie's arms.

"Have you come at last, my dear, beautiful mamma? What made you come so
late? I was so frightened here all alone! Are we really going now to
Auntie Angelica? Or will y