The things we do!

She had never been used to children's
society; all her life her father had been careful to keep her
apart from companions of her own age, and, accustomed to
associate continually with grown-up people, she chose to
regard with great contempt the trivial chatter, and squabbles,
and amusements of her small contemporaries. After a time,
indeed, she condescended to astonish their minds with some of
her old stories, and was gratified by the admiration of a
round-eyed, open-mouthed audience, who listened with rapt
attention as she related some of the glories of past days,
balls, and theatres, and kursaals, princes and counts, and
fine dresses; it served in some sort to maintain the sense of
superiority which was sorely tried during the untoward events
of the lesson hours; but this also was destined to come to an
end. One day there was a whispering among the listeners, which
resulted in the smallest of them saying boldly,--
"Marie-Louise says your papa must have been a very bad man."
"What!" cries Madelon, jumping off the high stool on which she
had been seated.


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