Soeur Lucie could not think of
anything to tell her but that she was very naughty, and must
try to be good, which Madelon knew too well already. It would
have been more to the purpose, perhaps, if she had told her
she was not so very bad after all, but Soeur Lucie never
thought of that; perhaps she did not care much about the
child; by this time Madelon was beginning to be established as
the black sheep of the little community, and Soeur Lucie only
expressed the general sense; but being very good-natured, she
said in a kind way what other people said disagreeably.
Neither from her companions did she meet with much sympathy,
and, indeed, when out of disgrace, Madelon was apt to be
rather ungracious to her schoolfellows, with whom she had
little in common. The children who came daily to the convent
were of two classes--children of the poor and children of a
higher bourgeois grade, shopkeepers for the most part. Madelon
was naturally classed with the latter of these two sets during
the lesson hours, but she stood decidedly aloof from them
afterwards, at first through shyness, and then with a sort of
wondering disdain.
Pages:
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296