Then Albert spoke:
"I am going to ask Esperance to give up appearing at this performance
as a favour to me," he said. "I shall contribute largely to the
charitable fund, and we can go back to Penhouet."
He had hardly finished speaking when Esperance came into the little
salon.
"Here I am you see and the ten minutes is not yet up!"
A discreet tap at the door made them all turn round. The Dowager
Duchess appeared.
"Ah! my dear child, what a joy to see you so restored."
"I must apologize, Madame, for the trouble I gave you. It is all over,
all over," she said, shaking her pretty head; "and I am as well as
possible."
"I am more than delighted," said the Duchess, sitting down. "You have no
idea, my dear Albert, of the perfect disaster Esperance's absence would
have caused. She is the star of our bill, as they say, and on whom we
all rely. You know that my son wants to be elected Deputy, and this
fete will secure him the votes of the whole community. More than
fifteen hundred people have taken tickets. The local livery stable men
count on making a fortune. All the villagers are getting their rooms
ready to let. If that adorable child had failed us nothing could have
made it up to them, and my son would have been ruined."
She rose up.
"But," she added, with the sweet smile that won all hearts, "you see
me so happy, so reassured, that you must all be joyful with me."
The young people led her to the foot of the stair.
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