The Argosy — page 362: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

342 The Master of Greylands. CHAPTER XV. AT GREYLANDS’ REST. “Non, mademoiselle, je n’en veux pas.”’ ‘‘ Because Ethel understands French as well as you do, that’s no reason why I should. If you tell me in French what I have to do, of course I can’t do it, for I don’t know a word you say.” It was the first morning of the studies, Tuesday, Madame Guise having entered the previous day. She, Ethel, and Flora were seated round the table in the schoolroom, a small apartment looking to the kitchen-garden, with an old carpet on its floor, painted segged chairs, and a square piano against the wall opposite the fire. Ethel was copy- jng music. Madame Guise was endeavouring to ascertain the advance- ment of Miss Flora in her studies, with a view to arranging their course in future, and was requiring her to answer in French. “Whatever you do, Madame Guise, please speak a/zays to Flora in French,” had been Mrs. Castlemaine’s first charge to the new gover- ness. ‘* Above all things, I wish her to bea good French scholar, and to speak it as fluently as Miss Reene does.” But here, at the very outset, Miss Flora was demurring to the French, and protesting she could not understand It. _ Madame Guise hesitated. She did not choose to be met by wilful disobedience ; on the other hand, to issue her mandates in an unknown language would be simply waste of time. ' She turned her eyes ques- tioningly on Ethel. ‘‘T am not quite sure, madame, one way or the other,” said Ethel, replying in French. ‘“ Flora ought to be able to understand it ; but she has always been inattentive, and perhaps she does not. Miss Oldham and the governesses who preceded her did not speak French as you do: perhaps they were not particular that Flora should speak it.” ‘* How is it that you speak it so well?” asked Madame. “1? Oh, Thad a French nurse when I was a child, and then a French governess ; and to finish my education I went to Paris for two years.” “All the three governesses I have had here did not speak French to me,” interrupted Flora, resentfully. ‘‘ Not one of them.” ‘‘Have you had three governesses? That is a great many, con- sidering you are yet young,” observed Madame. ‘They were all bad ones,”’ said the girl. ‘Or was it that you‘were a bad pupil? You must be a better one with me.” Ethel’s shapely head, with its bright dark hair, was bent over her copy- ing again: she said nothing. Madame Guise determined to speak in English to the child for at least this morning, until the, studies should he put in train. ECORNICLOOO SS (CO) in —_)