aken away her
appetite for tea also, and after sitting a little while she flung herself
down upon the couch, and told Picotee that she had settled to go and see
their aunt Charlotte.

'I am going to write to Sol and Dan to ask them to meet me there,' she
added. 'I want them, if possible, to see Paris. It will improve them
greatly in their trades, I am thinking, if they can see the kinds of
joinery and decoration practised in France. They agreed to go, if I
should wish it, before we left London. You, of course, will go as my
maid.'

Picotee gazed upon the sea with a crestfallen look, as if she would
rather not cross it in any capacity just then.

'It would scarcely be worth going to the expense of taking me, would it?'
she said.

The cause of Picotee's sudden sense of economy was so plain that her
sister smiled; but young love, however foolish, is to a thinking person
far too tragic a power for ridicule; and Ethelberta forbore, going on as
if Picotee had not spoken: 'I must have you with me. I may be seen
there: so many are passing through Rouen at this time of the year.
Cornelia can take excellent care of the children while we are gone. I
want to get out of England, and I will get out of England. There is
nothing but vanity and vexation here.'

'I am sorry you were away when he called,' said Picotee gently.

'O, I don't mean that. I wish there were no different ranks in the
world, and that contrivance were not a necessary faculty to have at all.
Well, we are going to cross by the little steamer that puts in here, and
we are going on Monday.' She added in another minute, 'What had Mr.
Julian to tell us that he came here? How did he find us out?'

'I mentioned that we were coming here in my letter to Faith. Mr. Julian
says that perhaps he and his sister may also come for a few days before
the season is over. I should like to see Miss Julian again. She is such
a nice girl.'

'Yes.' Ethelberta played with her hair, and looked at the ceiling as she
reclined. 'I have decided after all,' she said, 'that it will be better
to take Cornelia as my maid, and leave you here with the children.
Cornelia is stronger as a companion than you, and she will be delighted
to go. Do you think you are competent to keep Myrtle and Georgina out of
harm's way?'

'O yes--I will be exceedingly careful,' said Picotee, with great
vivacity. 'And if there is time I can go on teaching them a little.'
Then Picotee caught Ethe