It was only a few steps off, and though she was
strictly forbidden by her father ever to go out alone, still--
she had so seldom an opportunity of being naughty, that her
present consciousness of disobedience rather added, perhaps,
to the zest of the adventure. She would go just for this once--
and in another moment she was out in the street. The little
boy and girl fled with full pitchers as she came up to the
fountain, suddenly awakened to a sense of the waste of time in
which they had been indulging; but that made no difference to
Madelon; she stood gazing with mute admiration at the open-
mouthed monsters, from whose wide jaws the water trickled into
the basin below; and then she held her hands to catch the
drops till they were quite cold, and thought it the best play
she had ever known. By-the-by, however, she began to look
about her in search of further excitement, and, emboldened by
success, turned the corner of the street, and ventured out of
sight of the hotel. On one side large _portes-cocheres_ at
intervals, shutting in the white, green-shuttered houses, that
appeared beyond; on the other a long, high, blank wall, with
nothing to be seen above it, and one small arched doorway
about half-way down.
Pages:
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99