CHAPTER XX. A CONSPIRACY. Certainly Madame la Princesse de Fleury kept her school with a sort of easy nonchalance, which was much appreciated by the girls. In especial, these girls liked their half-holidays, when they could wander about pretty much as they pleased. It is true that the boarders had to submit to a certain amount of restraint, but as quite half the school were day girls they had only to say that they were going home to visit their dear relations, absolutely to satisfy that very innocent lady la Princesse. Now, Louise lived at Arles. Her father's restaurant was not far from the great school, and not far away again was the mansion where Louise slept each night, and at times, half-holidays and such like, enjoyed the pleasure of her friends' company. The day following that on which she met M'selle Close and M'selle Blanc was a half-holiday, and as her father supplied her freely with cash, she had whispered to one or two companions of a fete, ah, _très ravissant_, where certain of her dearest friends could join her and eat _chocolats_ and cakes to their hearts' delight. But Louise did not dare to lose this most precious half-holiday. She accordingly announced to her friends, Marcella and Berthe, that they must put off their time of _ravissement_ until the next half-holiday, for behold! consider! she, Louise, had work of the most particular to do. It was urgent, it was immediate--it had to come at once, at once. The girls, of course, had to submit, and Louise, dressing herself as gracefully as she could, appeared at the _Cabinet de Beauté_ at the hour named. She was received at once by the two ladies, was shown into a private room, and while one manicured her finger-nails, and the other made of her hair an arrangement the most perfect, she told her story. She said what she required. She also declared that when the deed was done, ah, _riche, très riche_ would be the reward. "_Mon père_, he has much _d'argent_," said Louise. "He will pay well. Now listen, M'selle Blanc and M'selle Close. You went as _gouvernantes_ to _la petite_ Comtesse." "Ah, _oui, oui_," said the ladies, "and badly, horribly were we treated. It was the doing of _l'enfant_; there is no doubt she is a snake in the grass." "I would say she was a green lizard on the sunny wall," said Louise. "Ah, make me not to shudder, M'selle Grognan." "Now, I want to tell you about _la petite_ Comtesse," continued Louise. "She is the daughter, it is true, of the late Comte Henri St. Juste, and her grandfather is the Comte St. Juste. She has, therefore, a right to her title of _la petite_ Comtesse, but behold, do you think she keeps to that which we desire? Ah, _non, non_, far from that. Would you suppose that _la petite_ sold me this chapeau?" for Louise was wearing the grass-green chapeau on purpose.