"Ay, IF," suggested Rose, saucily.

"I slept," said the baroness, "and I wish I had not for I dreamed an
ugly dream." They all gathered round her, and she told her dream.

"I thought I was with you all in this garden. I was admiring the flowers
and the trees, and the birds were singing with all their might. Suddenly
a dark cloud came; it cleared almost directly; but flowers, trees, sky,
and birds were gone now, and I could see the chateau itself no more. It
means that I was dead. An ugly dream, my children, an ugly dream."

"But only a dream, dear mother," said Rose: then with a sweet, consoling
smile, "See, here is your terrace and your chateau."

"And here are your daughters," said Josephine; and they both came
and kissed her to put their existence out of doubt. "And here is your
Aesculapius," said Aubertin. "And here is your Jacintha."

"Breakfast, madame," said Jacintha. "Breakfast, mesdemoiselles.
Breakfast, monsieur:" dropping each a distinct courtesy in turn.

"She has turned the conversation very agreeably," said the baroness, and
went in leaning on her old friend.

But the sisters lagged behind and took several turns in silence. Rose
was the first to speak. "How superstitious of you!"

"I said nothing."