"And dost thou wish to leave us, _ma petite_?" asked the Comtesse. "Ah, _oui, oui_, The Desmond is so very noble," said little Margot. "Thou must abide with us thy full time. Thou canst not leave until September," said _la_ Comtesse. Tears filled the little Comtesse's black eyes. "I know," she said, "I know. Uncle Jacko will call for me on that day. Ah, but my heart will rejoice, it will sing! But indeed thou art kind, _ma belle_ Comtesse, and so is grandpère, but thou hast never seen The Desmond. I will go to him for three months and come back again to thee and will serve for a little time each day in the shop, and hearken, Comtesse, thou wilt get me masters and mistresses next time, for I must learn--yes, I must learn! I will not be an ignorant Comtesse of France, and nothing will persuade me to disgrace The Desmond of Desmondstown." CHAPTER X. THOU ART FAITHFUL AND SO ARE MY BEES. "I am going to be your little pupil, grandpère," said Margot, raising her beautiful eyes to the old man's face. "Eh, what," he exclaimed, "eh, what? I thought you were at the school of Madame la Princesse." "I don't like that school, _mon cher_ grandpère. I don't like the girls there. I want you to teach me, yes, you! You can, you know, you know an awful lot." "I don't know anything, little fledgling," answered grandpère. "What I did learn, I have forgotten. I am an old man on the brink of eternity. It is not given to me to teach even one so _douce_ as thou, _mon ange_." "But can we not read poetry together?" said Margot. "I know you are terribly old, grandpère; you are much--much older than The Desmond. Oh, but The Desmond he is _magnifique_--so big--so tall--so broad, his beard long and white as the snow! And his hair white as the snow! But his eyes are somewhat like yours, grandpère, only they don't go in so deep in his head. Yes, thou art old, _mon_ grandpère, but still thou canst teach thy little Margot. One hour a day; say it is done!" "But what shall I teach, my pretty?" "How to talk the beautiful French tongue like thyself. Surely that will not be _difficile_. It will be to thee nothing, thou learned man; _très bien_--ah, but I cannot say all the words I want! But _thou_ canst do it, mon grandpère!" "Only for one hour a day, my Margot. But listen! understand! believe! We must not stay any longer than one hour over the French, _si belle_, for it would fatigue the old man." "After that I will teach thee the Irish language," said Margot, her eyes sparkling. "I will teach thee, and thou wilt laugh--oh, how thou wilt laugh!" "Thou art a _très bonne petite enfant_," said the old man. "I like to have thee near me, close to my side. For one hour each day, from two to three, we will talk that language the most elegant in the wide world, and after that I will lie back on my pillows of down and thou shalt tell me things to make me laugh, and laugh again, _ma petite_."