sister Christine! I am glad you are come out," said Euphrosyne,
bending over the balcony, and speaking in a low, though eager voice.
"Do give me a branch of something sweet,--orange, or citron, or
something. This humming-bird, will be gone if we do not make haste--
Hush! Do not call. Grandpapa is not awake yet. Please, make haste."

Sister Christine was not wont to make haste; but she did her best to
gratify Euphrosyne. She went straight to the corner of the shrubbery
where the abbess's mocking-bird spent all its summer days, hung up the
cage, and brought back what Euphrosyne had asked. The branch was drawn
up in the noose of the cord, and the nun could not but stand and watch
the event.

The bough was stuck between two of the bars of the jalousie, and the
girl withdrew to the end of the balcony. The humming-bird appeared,
hovered round, and at last inserted its long beak in a blossom,
sustaining itself the while on its quivering wings. Before proceeding
to another blossom it flew away. Euphrosyne cast a smile down to the
nun, and placed herself against the jalousie, holding the branch upon
her head. As she had hoped, two humming-birds returned. After some
hesitation, they came for more of their sweet food, and Euphrosyne felt
that her hair was blown about on her forehead by the motion of their
busy wings. She desired, above everything, to keep still; but this
strong desire, and the sight of sister Christine's grave face turned so
eagerly upwards, made her laugh so as to shake the twigs very fearfully.
Keeping her hand with the branch steady, she withdrew her head from
beneath, and then stole slowly and cautiously backward within the
window--the birds following. She now heard her grandfather's voice,
calling feebly and fretfully. She half turned to make a signal for
silence, which the old man so far observed as to sink his complaints to
a mutter. The girl put the branch into a water-jar near the window, and
then stepped lightly to the bed.

"What is all this nonsense?" said Monsieur Revel. "Why did not you come
the moment I called?"

"Here I am, grandpapa--and do look--look at my humming-birds!"

"Humming-birds--nonsense! I called you twice."

Yet the old gentleman rubbed his eyes, which did not seem yet quite
awake. He rubbed his eyes and looked through the shaded room, as if to
see Euphrosyne's new plaything. She brought him his spectacles from the
toilette, helped to raise him up, threw a s