SIR PERCY HITS BACK.
with them. It was in fact her love for Madame and Monsieur, and for Mademoiselle Rose, and Bibi's strange dislike of them, which had brought the only clouds in the sunshine of their affection.
But of this Fleurette was not thinking at the moment, her one thought was of her secret and how best to guard it. All the same she would not have denied Bibi chéri the kiss he asked for. She must take the risk, that was all, and once again trust to her wits. She allowed him to put his arms round her neck and held up her fresh young face for his kiss: she held the casket so carefully that he did not feel its sharp angles. All was well, for now she was free from his embrace, but still he had hold of her left hand, and drew her close to him.
"Fleurette, my little one," he said earnestly.
"Yes, Bibi."
"Do you know where the two Frontenac women have gone to?"
"No, Bibi, I do not," Fleurette was able to reply in all truthfulness, and looked her father straight in the eyes? "They were gone before I came."
"It is for their good that I ask you."
"I am sure it is, Bibi chéri, but really, really I do not know."
Bibi gave a quick, impatient sigh.
"Ah, well! good-bye my Fleurette."
"Good night, Bibi."
At last she was free. With her left hand she blew a last kiss to Bibi, and then quickly sped across the yard. Her heart felt heavy, and there was an uncomfortable lump in her throat. For the first time she had been brought face to face with the realities of life. Hitherto she had lived in a kind of fairyland in which she was the carefully tended and guarded queen, and Bibi the acknowledged king as well as slave. Everything in the world was perfect, and lovely and wonderful; the men and women in it — not only Bibi, but Louise, and M. Duflos the butcher and M. Colombe the grocer, and — and M. Amédé — they were all kind and generous and gentle. But now cruelty and spite had come within her ken. An ugly ghoul called "hatred" had passed by hand in hand with his ugly brother "mistrust" and the latter had whispered something in her ear just now, which had caused her to shrink within herself when Bibi had kissed her, and to turn from him and to run away with a strange sense of relief.
She did not look back as she sped across the yard, and when she came to the small postern gate she was thankful to find it on the latch, so that she could slip out unseen.
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