branch overhead, gave an occasional harsh interrogative croak, as if to inquire whether anything was ever going to happen in the world again; a brown, apoplectic-looking spaniel, with feet far apart and red tongue lolling, sat at the foot of its mistress's couch, looking like one of those grotesque animals, half dog half lion, which figure on monumental effigies. Sitting there, in the absolute dream-like silence, surrounded by her familiars, the old lady had all the air of some benevolent sorceress, who had ended at last by succumbing to her own incantations! She opened her eyes, however, as Lady Frances's step sounded upon the gravel, and lifted her head a little to see who her unwonted visitor was.
"Ah! whom have we here? It is you, Fanchon, my child, is it?" she saidj holding out a tiny, wrinkled hand, and blinking affectionately at the new comer. "Come in her sandolo, has she? Ah, fy, fy, a sandolo! A nice sort of conveyance that for a demoiselle of quality! Some day or other a little wind will get up, and you will go to the bottom, you and your sandolo, then you will remember that I have warned you! And your brother, the beau Colonel, what is he doing, and why does he not look better after his sister? He never comes to see me now, I observe. Probably he thinks that I am dead, but that, you should tell him, is no reason; he ought to come and place a leaf of imortelle upon my tomb, – it would be only convenable; your mother, were she alive, would insist upon his doing so."
" He means to come, I am quite sure, but he is so busy, it is very difficult for him to make time – it really is," his sister said, with eager apology. "Every day somebody carries him away; even I see very little of him. To-day he is gone with friends to the Lido."
"Ah, with friends – not with your little squeaking friend, that ugly one – what is her name – the one with the green eyes? He is not with her par example, is he?"
"With Madame Facchino? Oh dear, no, she has not gone at all. What made you think of her, Princess?"
"I don't know; I have my own little ideas. I saw them once together here, when they thought I was asleep. Your little friend is not so simple as she seems. She has her plans. Mark my words, some of these days she will astonish you."
Lady Frances remained silent. She was astonished already. It was such a completely new idea, filled as her mind was at present with quite other apprehensions, that she felt unable for a minute to reply. She was about to ask the Princess whether she had any other and more tangible grounds for suspicion, but before she could do so, that autocratic little personage had already drifted away to another subject.
"Titi, my little blessing, thou must not scratch thyself there upon my dress," she said to the spaniel. "To scratch one's self publicly is not convenable for little dogs! Go, go to thy good Bauche; see what she has got for thee. Bauche, my angel, give Lady Fanchon a cup of coffee and some brioche – the one with the little red bonbons. You do not get your nasty tea here, bad child. Your mother used to try and make me drink tea. Never! Forty years I tried, but I never could accomplish it. To me it is physic, simply physic! Will you have some strawberries too? there are some in that little basket. I dare not touch them myself;
