questioning. Octavia's gentle raillery, Octavia's delicious half
answers to the "Whys and wheres and whens and whats" had satisfied,
but Mademoiselle's abrupt, "I can't tell you--" "It does not concern
you--" "Zat is not of consequence--" were teaching the child to
scheme. She was perpetually trying to find out for herself the things
that Mademoiselle declined to tell her. She was especially curious
about Maman's closed door. Mademoiselle refused to open it.

But there came a day, when Mademoiselle wasn't looking, when Felice
tapped gently at her mother's door and opened it and went in. And when
she saw the empty bed and the empty chair she ran in great glee to her
grandfather.

"Oh, Oh," she cried, "Why didn't you tell me that Maman had gone to
the House in the Woods? Why didn't you let me go with her? For she
said we would make the garden together!"

He did not answer her at once.

"How did you know?"

"Because Babiche is gone," she answered triumphantly. "And Babiche
wouldn't be gone from the house unless Maman were gone--so they've
gone to the House in the Woods--to attend to the garden--with--" she
frowned until she remembered "with Piqueur--unless he is too old to
help--and now I will go--"

It was curious how his voice faltered, he looked tireder and more
unhappy than in the days when Octavia had made a game of making him
happy.