another with the childlike smile of his
bare lips, demanding if any here spoke Italian.

"I," answered Pierre himself. "Now, what may your errand be?"

"Oh, it's soon told," M. Etienne cried volubly, as one delighted to find
himself understood. "I am a jeweller from Florence; I am selling my
wares in your great houses. I have but just sold a necklace to the
Duchesse de Joyeuse; I crave permission to show my trinkets to the fair
ladies here. But take me up to them, and they'll not make you repent
it."

"Go tell madame," Pierre bade one of his men, and turning again to us
gave us kindly permission to set down our burden and wait.

For incredible good luck, the heavy hangings were drawn over the sunny
windows, making a soft twilight in the room. I sidled over to a bench in
the far corner and was feeling almost safe, when Pierre--beshrew
him!--called attention to me.

"Now, that is a heavy box for a maid to help lug. Do you make the lasses
do porters' work, you Florentines?"

"But I am a stranger here," M. Etienne explained. "Did I hire a porter,
how am I to tell an honest one? Belike he might run off with all my
treasures, and where is poor Giovanni then? Besides, it were cruel to
leave my little sister in our lodging, not a soul to speak to, the long
day through. There is none where we lodge knows Italian, as you do so
like an angel, Sir Master of the Household."

Now, Pierre was no more maitre d'hotel than I was, but that did not
dampen his pleasure to be called so. He sat down on the bench by M.
Etienne.

"How came you two to be in Paris?" he asked.

My lord proceeded to tell him I know not what glib and convincing
farrago, with every excellence, I made no doubt, of accent and gesture.
But I could not listen; I had affairs of my own by this time. The
lackeys had come up close round me, more interested in me than in my
brother, and the same Jean who had held me for my beating, who had
wanted my coat stripped off me that I might be whacked to bleed, now
said:

"I'll warrant you're hot and tired and thirsty, mademoiselle, for all
you look as fresh as cress. Will you drink a cup of wine if I fetch it?"

I had kept my eyes on the ground from the first moment of encounter, in
mortal dread to look these men in the face; but now, gaining courage, I
raised my glance and smiled at him bashfully, and faltered that I did
not understand.

He understood the sense, if not the words, of my answer, and repeated
his offe