he poor little girl. That afternoon our young ladies came
again on to the terrace, but they did not stay long, and the little girl
was not to be seen on the balcony, though I daresay she was peering out
through the window to see as far as she could. And the next day and the
day after were very rainy, so there was nothing I could do. But after
that again there came a very fine day--a beautiful sunny day it was, I
remember it well--and our young ladies came out like the flowers and the
birds to enjoy it. Out, too, came the forlorn little black figure,
hiding itself as before behind the railings of the balcony, but looking
with longing eyes at the garden below, which to her must have seemed a
kind of Paradise. I directed my steps to the terrace, and walked slowly
in front of the young ladies, slowly and solemnly straight in front of
them, for I wanted to attract their attention.

"'How particularly solemn Dudu looks to-day,' said one of them to the
other.

"'Yes,' she replied, 'quite as if he had something on his mind. Have you
been doing anything naughty, Dudu?'

"I turned and looked at her reproachfully. I was not offended, I knew
she was only joking, my character stood far above any imputation; but
still, there are subjects on which jokes are better avoided, and there
_was_ a cousin of mine whose honesty, I am sorry to say, had been more
than once suspected; altogether, I hardly thought the remark in good
taste, and Mademoiselle Eliane was not slow to perceive it.

"'Poor old Dudu,' she cried; 'have I hurt your feelings? But tell me
what are you looking so solemn about?'

"I looked at her again, and then, sure that she and her sister were
both watching me with attention, I sprang up the side of the wall next
the little stranger's house, hopped over the balcony railings, and
finding, as I expected, my little friend crouched down in the corner, I
gave a loud, sharp croak, as if something were the matter. Charlotte
started up in a fright, and the young ladies, watching me curiously, for
the first time observed her little figure.

"'Why, Dudu has a friend up there!' exclaimed Mademoiselle Jeanne--your
great-grandmother, my dears. 'Mademoiselle,' she called out to the
little girl, whose small black figure did not look very much bigger than
mine as we stood up there side by side; 'Mademoiselle, do not be
frightened of our old raven. He will not hurt you.'

"'I am not frightened, thank you,' said the little girl's gentl