nderstand what we expected
from you. You will not find any absurd severity in me; and if you have
ever thought me heartless, you will soon find out your mistake. Still,
though I wish you to feel perfectly free, I think that, to begin with,
you would do well to follow the counsels of a mother, who wishes to be a
sister to you."

I was quite charmed by the Duchess, who talked in a gentle voice,
straightening my convent tippet as she spoke. At the age of thirty-eight
she is still exquisitely beautiful. She has dark-blue eyes, with silken
lashes, a smooth forehead, and a complexion so pink and white that you
might think she paints. Her bust and shoulders are marvelous, and her
waist is as slender as yours. Her hand is milk-white and extraordinarily
beautiful; the nails catch the light in their perfect polish, the thumb
is like ivory, the little finger stands just a little apart from the
rest, and the foot matches the hand; it is the Spanish foot of Mlle. de
Vandenesse. If she is like this at forty, at sixty she will still be a
beautiful woman.

I replied, sweetheart, like a good little girl. I was as nice to her as
she to me, nay, nicer. Her beauty completely vanquished me; it seemed
only natural that such a woman should be absorbed in her regal part. I
told her this as simply as though I had been talking to you. I daresay
it was a surprise to her to hear words of affection from her daughter's
mouth, and the unfeigned homage of my admiration evidently touched her
deeply. Her manner changed and became even more engaging; she dropped
all formality as she said:

"I am much pleased with you, and I hope we shall remain good friends."

The words struck me as charmingly naive, but I did not let this appear,
for I saw at once that the prudent course was to allow her to believe
herself much deeper and cleverer than her daughter. So I only stared
vacantly and she was delighted. I kissed her hands repeatedly, telling
her how happy it made me to be so treated and to feel at my ease with
her. I even confided to her my previous tremors. She smiled, put her
arm round my neck, and drawing me towards her, kissed me on the forehead
most affectionately.

"Dear child," she said, "we have people coming to dinner to-day. Perhaps
you will agree with me that it is better for you not to make your first
appearance in society till you have been in the dressmaker's hands; so,
after you have seen your father and brother, you can go upstairs again.