"Noble woman!"
"She was the best woman that ever lived, madame la comtesse, but, unfortunately, she is dead now," said Herminie, sadly.
Then, unwilling to leave the countess under a painful impression, she added, smilingly:
"But the kind-hearted woman had not taken my greatest fault into consideration in making these plans. For, as you ask me to be perfectly frank with you, madame, I am forced to admit that I have one great and deplorable fault."
"And what is it, may I ask?"
"Alas! madame, it is pride."
"Pride?"
"Yes; so when our kind-hearted principal offered to keep me out of charity, my pride revolted, and I told her I would accept her offer only upon condition that I was allowed to pay by my work for what she offered me gratuitously."
"You said that at the age of twelve. What a little braggart she must have thought you. And how did you propose to pay her, pray?"
"By superintending the practising of the younger music pupils, for I was very far advanced for my age, having always had a passion for music."