Children and war -- Juvenile fiction; France -- History -- Revolution, 1789-1799 -- Juvenile fiction
“It’s a great sight, isn’t it? No one was curious until they had to stay
this side, but since the gates have been locked you’d think they thought
the fields of paradise were just near by,” laughed Georges Fardou.
There were no flowers, only a long stretch of road, the vanishing bulk
of a market cart in the distance, and the vivid spring sky above. Vivi
looked about her and then, putting her tray down, began to dance and
sing:
“Dansons la Carmagnole,
Vive le son du canon!”
The soldiers looked on, calling out approvingly:
“That’s good. She might be a sans-culotte herself! Give us the 'Ça Ira,’
too!”
Vivi danced and sang with all her might, enjoying the attention she got
very much. When Fardou called her, she picked up her tray and came
inside the gates, making a bow to the guard, who bowed mockingly in
return.
“Thank you, citizeness, for the entertainment. We shall see you one day
at the Comédie Française, I daresay,” he remarked.
“Thank you, Georges Fardou, for letting me outside the gates. It is not
so nice there as I thought.” She swung her leather strap over her
shoulder and went on crying her wares: “Licorice water, who wants
licorice water!”
Dian left Raoul and went to Humphrey Trail’s room in the alley. He had
not expected to find Humphrey in, but was only too glad to see his broad
kindly face looking around the corner of the door as he came up the
stairs.
“I’ve seen Madame Saint Frère,” Dian said as soon as he came into the
room. Then he proceeded to tell Humphrey all about the morning.
Humphrey’s face shone.
“Tha has done well and there’s now a bit o’ light ahead. Th’ young lad,
to think, he is in the bakery shop. How shall we save th’ lad?” Humphrey
wrung his fat hands together as he spoke.
“We shall do it, Humphrey Trail, and, if I have done well, you have done
better, for though I have dreams and the hope that they will come true,
you have already saved a little girl.” Dian smiled his slow smile and
Humphrey Trail answered him:
“Tha has something more than I ha’! Tha has trust!” As he spoke Humphrey
sighed, longing for the confidence which made Dian so sure that Lisle
would be rescued. He thought of the letter which Dian was holding until
he found the right messenger to deliver it to Champar, the trusted coach
driver, who would, in turn, give it into the hands of Grigge, who lived
at the gates of the Saint Frère demesne.
CHAPTER XIX
IN THE BAKERY SHOP AND OUT OF IT
The baker from the rue Saint Honoré was so cross that he glowered at his
wife when she handed him a cup of steaming, nicely sweetened coffee and
a plate of cream buns. He was worried, which was one reason for his
being cross. He snapped out these words as he took a long drink of the
good coffee:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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