“But do you think, could it be that mother and grandfather have been caught that way?”
“Pst!” Paulette made a scornful snap of her fingers. “Dispose of that notion. We shall hear quite otherwise. We shall know the truth about them before long. In Paris everything is known. They say that one cannot wink without the thing being known by the police.”
“What do we do first when we get to Paris?” Lucie inquired, full of curiosity. “Where do we go? Is it to a place we shall live till my parents arrive, and will it be in the heart of the city or in the suburbs? Shall we have a garden, do you think?”
“La la,” cried Paulette, “what questions! How is one to tell till we get there?”
“Shall we have plenty of money? Are we going to be very poor? Have you enough in case grandfather is delayed in coming?”
“Such questions!” cried Paulette again. “We shall not at once starve, though what is in the future who can say? The business is a thing of the past; it is no more, and one must exercise economy of course, but we shall see what we shall see. Rest tranquil for the present, my pigeon; to-day we shall dine.” And no more could Lucie learn.
Though anxiously looked for, no news of Mons. Du Bois came that day. Acting on the advice of Mons. Carriere, Lucie wrote to her grandfather in the care of Jacques Moulin, and then Paulette determined that they must set out the next morning, although Mons. Carriere protested, and begged that they would remain where they were till something definite had been learned about Mons. Du Bois. But Paulette, with the obstinacy of her class, insisted that there was but one thing to be done, and that was to carry out Mons. Du Bois’s orders. He had said that if they missed him, failed to meet him in this town, they were to go on to Paris and communicate with him there, so to Paris they must go and that was the end of it.
Their good host did all that he could to smooth the way for them. He directed them to a small and inexpensive hotel, urged them to let him know how they fared and if in any difficulty to notify him, so they set out quite cheerfully and hopefully.
The journey occupied more time than they supposed it would, for the distance was not great and in ordinary times would have taken but a few hours, but now there were frequent stops, cautious and slow advances, but at last Paris was reached and they stood on the platform of the Gare du Nord, Paulette still holding fast to her green umbrella and Pom Pom capering about in delight at being released from confinement. They drove to the quiet little hotel which Mons. Carriere had recommended, and here began Lucie’s life in Paris, whether to be of long or short period who could tell?
It was rather disappointing to Lucie from the outset. The small hotel seemed a stuffy, shabby place after the daintiness and freshness of her own home. Paulette was overcome with fear at the traffic in the streets and dared not venture out, nor would she for a moment allow Lucie to go.