ved like other young people. You
were, no doubt, very nervous, and but half awake when you fancied you saw
the occurrence you describe; and Madame de--de--'

'De la Rougierre,' I supplied.

'Yes, thank you--Madame de la Rougierre, who has arrived with excellent
testimonials, strenuously denies the whole thing. Here is a conflict, my
dear--in my mind a presumption of mistake. I confess I should prefer that
theory to a peremptory assumption of guilt.'

I felt incredulous and amazed; it seemed as if a dream were being enacted
before me. A transaction of the most serious import, which I had witnessed
with my own eyes, and described with unexceptionable minuteness and
consistency, is discredited by that strange and suspicious old man with
an imbecile coolness. It was quite in vain my reiterating my statement,
backing it with the most earnest asseverations. I was beating the air. It
did not seem to reach his mind. It was all received with a simper of feeble
incredulity.

He patted and smoothed my head--he laughed gently, and shook his while
I insisted; and Madame protested her purity in now tranquil floods
of innocent tears, and murmured mild and melancholy prayers for my
enlightenment and reformation. I felt as if I should lose my reason.

'There now, dear Maud, we have heard enough; it is, I do believe, a
delusion. Madame de la Rougierre will be your companion, at the utmost, for
three or four weeks. Do exercise a little of your self-command and
good sense--you know how I am tortured. Do not, I entreat, add to my
perplexities. You may make yourself very happy with Madame if you will, I
have no doubt.'

'I propose to Mademoiselle,' said Madame, drying her eyes with a gentle
alacrity, 'to profit of my visit for her education. But she does not seem
to weesh wat I think is so useful.'

'She threatened me with some horrid French vulgarism--_de faire baiser le
babouin a moi_, whatever that means; and I know she hates me,' I replied,
impetuously.

'Doucement--doucement!' said my uncle, with a smile at once amused and
compassionate. 'Doucement! ma chere.'

With great hands and cunning eyes uplifted, Madame tearfully--for her tears
came on short notice--again protested her absolute innocence. She had never
in all her life so much as heard one so villain phrase.

'You see, my dear, you have misheard; young people never attend. You will
do well to take advantage of Madame's short residence to get up your French
a little, a