“You are glad I am going, aren’t you? You can give everything to your Jenny.” My mother colored slightly, but as her eyes fell on Jeanne her expression changed, and a look of unspeakable affection came over her face. She pushed Régina gently aside, and the child went on with her jig. “We two will stay together,” said my mother, leaning her head back on Jeanne’s shoulder, and she said this quite unconscious of the full force of her words, just in the same way as she had gazed at my sister. I was perfectly stupefied and closed my eyes so that I should not see. I could only hear my little sister dancing her jig and emphasizing every stamp on the floor with the words: “And we two, as well, we two, we two!” It was a very painful little drama that was stirring our four hearts in this little _bourgeois_ home, and the result of it was that I settled down finally with my little sister in the flat in Rue Duphot. I kept Caroline with me and engaged a cook. My _petite dame_, Mme. Guérard, was with me nearly all day and I dined every evening with my mother. CHAPTER IX I RETURN TO THE STAGE I was still on friendly terms with an actor from the Porte Saint Martin Theater, who had been appointed stage manager there. Marc Fournier was at that time manager of this theater. A piece entitled “La Biche au Bois” was then being played. It was a fairyland story, and was having great success. A delicious actress from the Odéon Theater, Mlle. Debay, had been engaged for the principal rôle. She played tragedy princesses most charmingly. I often had tickets for the Porte Saint Martin, and I thoroughly enjoyed “La Biche au Bois.” Mme. Ulgade sang admirably in her rôle of the young prince, and amazed me. Then, too, Marquita charmed me with her dancing. She was delightful in her dances, which were so animated, so characteristic, and always so full of distinction. Thanks to old Josse I knew everyone; but to my surprise and terror, one evening, toward five o’clock, on arriving at the theater to take our seats, he exclaimed on seeing me: “Why, here is our princess, our little “Biche au Bois.” Here she is! It is the Providence that watches over theaters who has sent her!” I struggled like an eel caught in a net, but it was all in vain. M. Marc Fournier, who could be very charming, gave me to understand that I should be doing him a veritable service and keeping up the receipts. Josse, who guessed what my scruples were, exclaimed: “But, my dear child, it will still be your high art, for it is Mlle. Debay from the Odéon Theater who is playing this rôle of _Princess_, and Mlle. Debay is the first _artiste_ at the Odéon, and the Odéon is an imperial theater, so that it cannot be any disgrace after your studies.”