“He will stand by me—yes, he will—”
“Marie!” cried her mother, and her dry, gaunt figure appeared at the foot of the stairs. Marie flew down to the sitting-room of her parents, following her mother, who took her place in the niche at the open window without speaking to her.
CHAPTER XIV. THE KING’S LETTER.
“Marie,” said the general’s wife, after seating herself upon the hard cushion of the divan, near which sat the general in his arm-chair, busily stroking his painful right leg—“Marie, take a chair, and sit near us.”
Marie noiselessly brought a cane-chair, and seated herself by the table, opposite her parents.
“We have just received a communication from the king’s cabinet,” said the mother, solemnly. “It is necessary that you should know the contents, and I will read it aloud to you. I expressly forbid you, however, to interrupt me while I am reading, in your impetuous manner, with your remarks, which are always of the most obstinate and disagreeable kind. You understand, do you, Marie?”
“Perfectly, mother; I will listen without interrupting you, according to your command.”
“This communication is naturally addressed to your father, as I wrote to the king in his name.”
“I did not know that you had written to his majesty at all, dear mother.”