remembers that when she was a
little girl she liked to do things like that herself."

"I don't believe you ever were a little girl, were you, Marcelline?"
said Jeanne. "I believe you were always a little old woman like what you
are now."

Marcelline laughed, but did not speak.

"Ask Dudu," she said at last. "If he is a fairy, he should know."

Jeanne pricked up her ears at this.

"Marcelline," she said solemnly, "I believe you do know something about
Dudu. Oh, _do_ tell us, dear Marcelline."

But nothing more was to be got out of the old nurse.

When the children were undressed, Jeanne begged leave to run into Hugh's
room with him to tuck him into bed, and make him feel at home the first
night. There was no lamp in the room, but the firelight danced curiously
on the quaint figures on the walls.

"You're sure you're not frightened, Cheri?" said little Jeanne in a
motherly way, as she was leaving the room.

"Frightened! what is there to be frightened at?" said Hugh.

"The funny figures," said Jeanne. "Those peacocks look just as if they
were going to jump out at you."

"I think they look very nice," said Hugh. "I am sure I shall have nice
dreams. I shall make the peacocks give a party some night, Jeanne, and
we'll invite Dudu and Grignan, and Houpet and the two little hens, and
Nibble, of course, and we'll make them all tell stories."

Jeanne clapped her hands.

"Oh, what fun!" she exclaimed. "And you'll ask me and let me hear the
stories, won't you, Cheri?"

"_Of course_," said Hugh. So Jeanne skipped off in the highest spirits.

CHAPTER III.

ON A MOONLIGHT NIGHT.

"O moon! in the night I have seen you sailing,
And shining so round and low."
CHILD NATURE.

"And what did you dream, Cheri?" inquired Jeanne the next morning in a
confidential and mysterious tone.

Hugh hesitated.

"I don't know," he said at last. "At least----" he stopped and hesitated
again.

The two children were having their "little breakfast," consisting of two
great big cups of nice hot milky coffee and two big slices of bread,
with the sweet fresh butter for which the country where Jeanne's home
was is famed. They were alone in Jeanne's room, and Marcelline had drawn
a little table close to the fire for them, for this morning it seemed
colder than ever; fresh snow had fallen during the night, and out in
the garden nothing was to be seen but smoothly-rounded