'You are _not_ glad, Madame; you don't love me--you never did,' I exclaimed with sudden vehemence. 'Yes, I am _very_ glad; you know not, chère petite _niaise_, how I 'av desire to educate you a leetle more. Let us understand one another. You think I do not love you, Mademoiselle, because you have mentioned to your poor papa that little _dérèglement_ in his library. I have repent very often that so great indiscretion of my life. I thought to find some letters of Dr. Braierly. I think that man was trying to get your property, my dear Maud, and if I had found something I would tell you all about. But it was very great _sottise_, and you were very right to denounce me to Monsieur. Je n'ai point de rancune contre vous. No, no, none at all. On the contrary, I shall be your _gardienne tutelaire_--wat you call?--guardian angel--ah, yes, that is it. You think I speak _par dérision_; not at all. No, my dear cheaile, I do not speak _par moquerie_, unless perhaps the very least degree in the world.' And with these words Madame laughed unpleasantly, showing the black caverns at the side of her mouth, and with a cold, steady malignity in her gaze. 'Yes,' I said; 'I know what you mean, Madame--you _hate_ me.' 'Oh! wat great ogly word! I am shock! _vous me faites honte_. Poor Madame, she never hate any one; she loves all her friends, and her enemies she leaves to Heaven; while I am, as you see, more gay, more _joyeuse_ than ever, they have not been 'appy--no, they have not been fortunate these others. Wen I return, I find always some of my enemy they 'av die, and some they have put themselves into embarrassment, or there has arrived to them some misfortune;' and Madame shrugged and laughed a little scornfully. A kind of horror chilled my rising anger, and I was silent. 'You see, my dear Maud, it is very natural you should think I hate you. When I was with Mr. Austin Ruthyn, at Knowl, you know you did not like a me--never. But in consequence of our intimacy I confide you that which I 'av of most dear in the world, my reputation. It is always so. The pupil can _calomniate_, without been discover, the gouvernante. 'Av I not been always kind to you, Maud? Which 'av I use of violence or of sweetness the most? I am, like other persons, _jalouse de ma réputation_; and it was difficult to suffer with patience the banishment which was invoked by you, because chiefly for your good, and for an indiscretion to which I was excited by motives the most pure and laudable. It was you who spied so cleverly--eh! and denounce me to Monsieur Ruthyn? Helas! wat bad world it is!' 'I do not mean to speak at all about that occurrence, Madame; I will not discuss it. I dare say what you tell me of the cause of your engagement here is true, and I suppose we must travel, as you say, in company; but you must know that the less we see of each other while in this house the better.'