"Well—you did though." He was trying to think who this strange child was.
"You see I had promised. And I wanted to learn English and many other things that are not down in the prayers and counting beads. Pani said it was wrong. So I came back. You did not know I had run away, Monsieur."
"No, but there was no rule then. I should have been glad if half of them had run away."
He gave a chuckle and a funny gleam shone out of his eye, and there was a curl in his lip as if the amusement could not get out.
Jeanne wanted to smile. She should never be afraid of him again.
"And there was another time—"
"How many more?"
"No more. For Pani said, 'Would you like to tell Monsieur St. Armand?'—and I knew I should be ashamed."
A delicate flush stole over her face, going up to the tangle of rings on her forehead. What a pretty child she was!
"Monsieur St. Armand?" inquiringly.