"
She had barely pronounced the last words, when a startling interruption
led to consequences which the persons present had not foreseen. A
shrill, wailing voice suddenly pierced through the flimsy partition
which divided the front room and the back room. "Bread!" cried the voice
in French; "I'm hungry. Bread! bread!"
The daughter started to her feet. "Think of his betraying us at this
moment!" she exclaimed indignantly. The mother rose in silence, and
opened a cupboard. Its position was opposite to the place in which
Stella was sitting. She saw two or three knives and forks, some cups and
saucers and plates, and a folded table-cloth. Nothing else appeared on
the shelves; not even the stray crust of bread for which the poor woman
had been looking. "Go, my dear, and quiet your brother," she said--and
closed the cupboard door again as patiently as ever.
Stella opened her pocketbook when Blanche had left the room. "For
God's sake, take something!" she cried. "I offer it with the sincerest
respect--I offer it as a loan."
Madame Marillac gently signed to Stella to close the pocketbook again.
Pages:
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193