Sophie and I had some fine games in that magnificent park. Our greatest joy, though, was to go to Mme. Masson’s in the Rue de la Gare. Mme. Masson had a curiosity shop. Her daughter Cécile was a perfect little beauty. We three used to delight in changing the tickets on the vases, snuffboxes, fans, and jewels, and then, when poor M. Masson came back with a rich customer—for Masson, the antiquary, enjoyed a world-wide reputation—Sophie and I used to hide so that we should see his fury. Cécile, with an innocent air, would be helping her mother and glancing slyly at us from time to time. The whirl of life separated me brusquely from all these people whom I loved, and an incident, trivial in itself, caused me to leave the convent earlier than my mother wished. It was a fête day and we had two hours for recreation. We were marching in procession along the wall which skirts the railway on the left bank of the Seine and as we were burying my pet lizard we were chanting the “De Profundis.” About twenty of my little playfellows were following me, when suddenly a soldier’s cap fell at my feet. “What’s that?” called out one of the girls. “A soldier’s cap.” “Did it come from over the wall?” “Yes, yes.... Listen, there’s a quarrel going on!” We were suddenly silent, listening with all our ears. “Don’t be stupid! It’s idiotic!” “It’s the Grandchamps Convent!” “How am I to get my cap back?” These were the words we overheard and then, as a soldier suddenly appeared astride our wall, there were shrieks from the terrified children and angry exclamations from the nuns. In a second we were all about twenty yards away from the wall, like a group of frightened sparrows flying off to land a little farther away, inquisitive and very much on the alert. “Have you seen my cap, young ladies?” called out the unfortunate soldier in a beseeching tone. “No, no!” I cried, hiding it behind my back. “Oh, no!” echoed the other girls with peals of laughter, and in the most tormenting, insolent, jeering way we continued shouting “No!” “No!” running backward all the time in reply to the Sisters who, veiled and hidden behind the trees, were in despair. We were only a few yards from the huge gymnasium. I climbed up breathless at full speed and reached the wide plank at the top. When there, I unfastened the rope ladder, but as I could not get the wooden ladder up to me by which I had mounted, I unfastened the rings and banged it down so that it broke, making a great noise. I then stood up wickedly triumphant on the plank, calling out: “Here it is—your cap, but you won’t get it now!” I put it on my head and walked up and down, as no one could get to me there. I suppose my first idea had just been to have a little fun, but the girls had laughed and clapped, and my strength had held out better than I had hoped, so that my head was turned, and nothing could stop me then.