"It was a beautiful mantle, Mademoiselle Annette, and I daresay somebody caught it up and ran away with it when the man's attention was turned the other way. It can't be helped: there are worse misfortunes at sea." "What gentleman was it that you were walking about with?" resumed Mademoiselle Annette. "Gentleman?" returned Miss Chandos, in a questioning tone, as if she could not understand, or did not remember. "Gentleman, Mademoiselle Annette?" "A gentleman who came on board to speak to you; and who assisted you to land: and with whom you were walking about afterwards, while the other ladies were in the custom-house?" "Oh, I recollect; yes. There was a gentleman who came on board: it was Monsieur de Mellissie." Very brilliant had Miss Chandos's cheeks become; but she turned her face to the desk as if anxious to continue her studies, and Mademoiselle Barlieu saw it not. "What took him on board?" resumed Mademoiselle Annette. "As if I knew, Mademoiselle Annette!" lightly replied the young lady. "He may have wanted to speak to the captain—or to some of the sailors—or to me. He did not tell me." "But you were promenading with him afterwards!" "And very polite of him it was to give up his time to promenade with me, while I was waiting for them to come out," replied Miss Chandos. "I returned him my thanks for it, Mademoiselle Annette. If the new English teacher had had a thousand boxes to clear, she could not have been much longer over it. I thought she was never coming." "Well, my dear, do not promenade again with Monsieur de Mellissie. It is not the right thing for a young lady to do; and Miladi Chandos might not be pleased that you should." "On the contrary, Mademoiselle Annette, mamma charged me with twenty messages to give him, in trust for his mother," replied the undaunted girl. "I was glad of an opportunity of delivering them." Mademoiselle Annette said no more. She charged the girls as she quitted the room to get ready their geography books, for she should return for that class in five minutes. "I say, Emily Chandos, whatever is all that about?" asked a young lady, Ellen Roper. "I don't care! It's that new English teacher who has been reporting! Alfred jumped on board as soon as we touched the side, and I stayed with him until the omnibus was ready—or until we were ready for the omnibus. Where was the harm? _You_ did not tell, Anne Hereford?" "I have not spoken of it to any one." "No; I was sure of that: it's that precious teacher. I did not like her before, but for this I'll give her all the trouble I can at my English lessons. Such folly for Mademoiselle Barlieu to engage a girl as governess; and she's no better. I could teach her. She's not nice, either; you can't like or respect her."