It was in this way that Margot's new life began. It was a very busy one and on the whole happy. She was glad to leave the school of la Princesse, and she greatly liked selling chapeaux and robes for her _belle_ grand'mère la Comtesse. She was particularly happy when members of the school of la Princesse de Fleury entered the _établissement_, looked longingly at the pretty, clever child, and she had the opportunity of giving them as she expressed it "_the back_." She had great pride, had this little Comtesse, and when she swept past Lady Dorothy Duncan and even the other English girls who had tried to befriend her, she enjoyed herself immensely. She had become in fact a sort of power in the _établissement_ and never did the francs come in so quickly and the robes and the chapeaux and the fans and the _gants_ fly so fast. She had a knack of picking out elderly, rich-looking people and dressing them according to her own taste. Meanwhile she passed utterly by the inmates of the great school and the other aristocrats, of whom she took no notice whatsoever. The people whom little Margot attended to were _bourgeoise_ but they were rich, and Margot was clever enough to charge them according to their means. In short, things were going so well, that Madame _la belle_ grand'mère felt it only her duty to give the child the very best music lessons which Arles could produce. The afternoons were sacred to _mon_ grandpère, and in short the little incident in connection with the school was well-nigh forgotten. Oh, what a very happy girl was Margot St. Juste! But she little knew that a cloud was arising in the blue of her sky and that she was not to escape scot free. Hébé Duncan was really engaged to a young nobleman of great distinction. The marriage was to take place within a very short time. She had an aunt who lived some distance from Arles who would supply her with that _dot_ which the Marquis could not possibly raise, and this aunt came constantly to Arles to see about her niece's robes and chapeaux for _le mariage_. The fame, the taste of the small dark-eyed Comtesse had reached the ears of Madame Derode and she was determined that the little Comtesse and no one else should assist in the choosing of the marriage garments for young Lady Hébé Duncan. But it is one thing for man to propose and another thing for God to dispose. The little Comtesse was exceedingly busy that morning turning a fat, ill-made Frenchwoman of the farmer class into an elegant lady. She was choosing the right robes, the right chapeaux, she was--with a skill all her own--softening the tints of Madame Vollot. Madame Vollot hardly knew herself in her chapeaux and her robes. She stood in the centre of the largest salon, the admired of all beholders. A group of young girls surrounded her while _la petite_ Comtesse gave her orders in a firm and resolute voice.