Part 3 (1/2)
”Monsieur Roger!”
The gentleman in his turn looked with surprise at the pretty little girl who had saluted him by name. He cast a glance towards the door, and, seeing that she was alone, more surprised than ever, he looked at her long and silently.
Miette, abashed by this scrutiny, drew back a little, and said, with hesitation,--
”Tell me: you are surely Monsieur Roger?”
”Yes, I am indeed Monsieur Roger,” said the visitor, at last, in a voice full of emotion. And, with a kindly smile, he added, ”How did you come to recognize me, Miss Miette?”
Hearing her own name p.r.o.nounced in this unexpected manner, Miss Miette was struck dumb with astonishment. At the end of a minute, she stammered,--
”Why, sir, you know me, then, also?”
”Yes, my child; I have known and loved you for a long time.”
And Monsieur Roger caught Miette up in his arms and kissed her tenderly.
”Yes,” he continued, ”I know you, my dear child. Your father has often spoken of you in his letters; and has he not sent me also several of your photographs when I asked for them?”
”Why, that is funny!” cried Miette.
But she suddenly felt that the word was not dignified enough.
”That is very strange,” she said: ”for I, too, recognized you from your photograph; and it was only five minutes ago, at the very moment when you arrived, that I was looking at it, up-stairs in my room. Shall I go up and find the alb.u.m?”
Monsieur Roger held her back.
”No, my child,” said he, ”remain here by me, and tell me something about your father and your mother.”
Miette looked up at the clock.
”Papa and mamma may return at any moment. They will talk to you themselves a great deal better than I can. All that I can tell you is that they are going to be very, very glad; but they did not expect you until the evening. How does it happen that you are here already?”
”Because I took the first train,--the 6.30.”
”But your telegram?”
”Yes, I sent a despatch last night on arriving at Paris, but I did not have the patience to wait for an answer. I departed, hoping they would receive me anyway with pleasure; and I already see that I was not mistaken.”
”No, Monsieur Roger,” answered Miette, ”you were not mistaken. You are going to be very happy here, very happy. There, now! I see papa and mamma returning.”
The door of the vestibule had just been opened.
They could see Peter exchanging some words with his master and mistress.
Then hurried steps were heard, and in a moment Monsieur Dalize was in the arms of his friend Roger. Miss Miette, who had taken her mamma by the arm, obliged her to bend down, and said in her ear,--
”I love him already, our friend Roger.”
[Ill.u.s.tration]