The Tapestry Room: A Child's RomanceMolesworth, Mrs.
Science
The Tapestry Room: A Child's Romance
Molesworth, Mrs.
Fantasy literature
"Perhaps they were going to give a party, and were planning about
inviting us," suggested Jeanne.
"I don't know," said Hugh; "it's no good my trying to think. It's just a
sleepy feeling of having heard something. I can't remember anything
else, and the more I think, the less I remember."
"Well, you must be sure to tell me if you do hear anything more. I was
awake ever so long in the night, ever so long; but I didn't mind, there
was such nice moonlight."
"Moonlight, was there?" said Hugh; "I didn't know that. I'll try to keep
awake to-night, because Marcelline says the figures on the walls are so
pretty when it's moonlight."
"And if Dudu comes, or you see anything funny, you'll promise to call
me?" said Jeanne.
Hugh nodded his head. There was not much fear of his forgetting his
promise. Jeanne reminded him of it at intervals all that day, and when
the children kissed each other for good-night she whispered again,
"Remember to call me, Cheri."
Cheri went to sleep with the best possible intentions as to
"remembering." He had, first of all, intended not to go to sleep at all,
for his last glance out of the window before going to bed showed him
Monsieur Dudu on the terrace path, enjoying the moonlight apparently,
but, Hugh strongly suspected, bent on mischief, for his head was very
much on one side and his claw very much stuck out, in the way which
Jeanne declared made him look like a very impish raven indeed.
"I wonder what Marcelline meant about the moonlight," thought Hugh to
himself as he lay down. "I hardly see the figures on the wall at all.
The moon must be going behind a cloud. I wonder if it will be brighter
in the middle of the night. I don't see that I need stay awake all the
night to see. I can easily wake again. I'll just take a little sleep
first."
And the little sleep turned out such a long one, that when poor Hugh
opened his eyes, lo and behold! it was to-morrow morning--there was
Marcelline standing beside the bed, telling him it was time to get up,
he would be late for his tutor if he did not dress himself at once.
"Oh dear," exclaimed Hugh, "what a pity! I meant to stay awake all night
to watch the moonlight."
Marcelline smiled what Jeanne called her funny smile.
"You would find it very difficult to do that, I think, my little
Monsieur," she said. "However, you did not miss much last night. The
clouds came over so that the moon had no chance. Perhaps it will be
clearer to-night."
With this hope Hugh had to be satisfied, and to satisfy also his little
cousin, who was at first quite disappointed that he had nothing
wonderful to tell her.
"To-night," she said, "_I_ shall stay awake all night, and if the
moonlight is very nice and bright I shall come and wake _you_, you
sleepy Cheri. I do _so_ want to go up those steps and into the castle
where the peacocks are standing at the door."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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