"I want you not at all," said Madame la Comtesse. "The good God himself has given unto me the cheeks of roses and the eyes so bright and the figure so straight. But behold, listen! There is _ma petite_, the idol of her grandfather, the adored of her _belle_ grand'mère. M. le Comte knows nothing of my _établissement_, and he must never know, never, never! There are things which all women of fashion learn, and I want you, M'selle Close, and that other gracious lady, M'selle Blanc, to come day about to the château in order to instruct _la petite_, but you must not touch on the make up, _comprenez-vous_? It would be fatal. _L'enfant toujours_; that mind so white must be kept white; but you must teach her, M'selle Close, such things as the English and the French and the German and the _géographie_ for two hours every other day, and on the other days, M'selle Blanc shall teach her. You must be at the château for two hours each day, but before anything is firmly established, you must go to the château and acquaint M. le Comte with the fact that you are a poor _gouvernante_, one of the high nobility. You must present yourself to him as M'selle de Close, and your friend must be M'selle de Blanc; and I will pay you well, ah well; that is, if you keep strictly to your post; keep firmly to the lessons which I have set you--the white heart to be kept white; the holy things to be instructed to _la petite_, _comprenez-vous_?" "Ah, _oui_," said M'selle Close. "And you will pay well, Comtesse?" "According to your merits will I pay. I care not how much, so long as it pleases _mon mari_. Get ready at once and I will drive you, M'selle Close, to the Château St. Juste." M'selle certainly saw a good thing before her. She dressed according to the directions of Madame very simply and quietly. She removed the rouge from her cheeks and the artificial darkness from beneath her eyes. She was no longer a pretty woman, but she was, according to Madame, one with _l'air distingué_. Soon they reached the château. Little Margot had not yet returned home. She was at her dancing class and was perfectly happy. Madame rushed gaily into the presence of _mon_ Alphonse. "I have found her and she is a treasure. Listen, harken, she belongs to the nobility. She is M'selle de Close. Her friend also is M'selle de Blanc. She is poor, but she is simple, aristocratic, learned. She will teach thy granddaughter for two hours every second day. On alternate days M'selle de Blanc will do likewise. I have brought her back with me for thee to see." "Ah, but I am tired!" said the Comte. "I did not know that thou wouldst be _si vite, ma_ Comtesse." "Ah, but _vite_ is the word," cried la Comtesse; "for youth it flies, months go by, years go by. Behold, whilst thou art looking round, taking a little nap--ah, no more, just a little nap, _la petite_ will grow up. Wilt thou, then, see M'selle de Close?"