"Ah, but thou naughty one; thou adorable naughty one," said la Comtesse. "But behold, listen," continued the old man. "I enjoyed myself; they were so gay, so young, so brilliant in the cheeks, so dainty in the chapeaux. Then I arrived. They took me in their own car; but I could not see that _petite_ wonder, who seems to rule the _établissement_; and suddenly, behold, the real Marquis Odile appeared with his beautiful daughters, Rose and Clotilde. Ah, but it was an adventure; it was wonderful. Thinkest thou, Madame beloved, that the others were--were spirits? I looked to right, I looked to left, and nowhere could I see them after the Marquis appeared. Thinkest thou they were spirits, Madame la Comtesse?" "They were wicked women," said Madame. "They thought to take thee in, but they failed." "Ah, but indeed they were not wicked," said M. le Comte. "They looked young and elegant. How gently did the one who called herself Clotilde support my feeble steps; and how admirable were the manners of the one called Rose. I will amuse myself well this afternoon in telling the story of this queer adventure to _la petite_ Comtesse." "Please thyself, _mon_ Alphonse; but now lie quietly and rest, while I prepare the bouillon which will nourish thee after those adventures, which only ought to happen to the young." The entire story was repeated to Margot when she appeared on the scene; but the old man seemed now dull and drowsy and stupid. Perhaps he was too old for adventures--he could not say. As the evening advanced, he talked in a puzzled way of two Marquises called Rose, and two Marquises called Clotilde, and of a "little wonder" in a certain _établissement_. He was decidedly feverish, and Margot held his hand and soothed him as only _she_ knew how. "Oh the wicked, wicked women," sobbed _la belle_ grand'mère, after the doctor had come and gone. "The wicked, wicked women, to injure _mon_ Alphonse." When Margot had a minute of time to attend to _la belle_ grand'mère, she told her that the false Marquises were only her hideous old _gouvernantes_ dressed up to look young, and that she herself meant to give them a piece of her mind. "I mean to spend the entire night with grandpère," she said. "Weep not, _ma belle_ grand'mère. He got a shock, and only _I_ can keep him from being puzzled by the two names--the two names twice over. I will go to him, _ma belle_ grand'mère." "Yes, go, my blessed child," said the little Madame; and she felt at that moment that even the _dot_ for Margot, and her _établissement_, were as nothing compared to _mon_ Alphonse--_mon_ Alphonse the adorable, the love of her life. CHAPTER XXI. THE PALACE OF TRUTH.