"Never studied geography, nor history, nor arithmetic!" cries
Soeur Ursule, who superintended the school; "not know the
principal cities in Europe, nor the kings of France, nor even
your multiplication table!" These speeches, with strongly
implied notes of admiration after each sentence, and
illustrated by the expression on the faces of a small, open-
mouthed audience in the background, roused Madelon's most
indignant feelings; she rebelled alike against the injustice
of being held up to public reprobation for not knowing what
she had never been taught, and against the imputations cast
upon her education hitherto. "I can do a great many things you
cannot," she would answer defiantly, "I can talk English, and
German, and Italian--you can't; I can dance--you can't; I can
sing songs, and--and, oh! a great many things that you cannot
do!" A speech of this sort would bring our poor Madelon into
dire disgrace we may be sure; and then angry, impenitent, she
would go away into some corner, and cry--oh! how sadly--for her
father; for the happy old days, for Monsieur Horace, too,
perhaps, to come back, and take her out of all this misery.
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