Accordingly Madame la Comtesse went that very day to a unique and charming little flat in a unique and charming part of Arles. It was called "Le Cabinet de Beauté. The lady who entered the room on the arrival of Madame called herself Félicité. She held up her hands, arched her brows and said:
"Ah, Madame, have you come to me indeed? Have you come at last, that I may perform on you my art? Behold how little it is, and how much. It finishes never, see, Madame? Behold, I will mark out to you your day! You must have the chocolat, you must rise never later than eight o'clock, and promenade on foot for les douches. This exercise preserves the form. Then, behold, the masseuse appears and makes miracles of the hands. Afterwards you rest as is necessary, and M'selle Blanc does the rest. Ah, but she is a veritable artist is M'selle Blanc. You want us; you have come. I am at your feet, beautiful Madame!"
"I want you not at all," said Madame la Comtesse. "The good God himself has given unto me the cheeks of roses and the eyes so bright and the figure so straight. But behold, listen! There is ma petite, the idol of her grandfather, the adored of her belle grand'mère. M. le Comte knows nothing of my établissement, and he must never know, never, never! There are things which all women of fashion learn, and I want you, M'selle Close, and that other gracious lady, M'selle Blanc, to come day about to the château in order to instruct la petite, but you must not touch on the make up, comprenez-vous? It would be fatal. L'enfant toujours; that mind so white must be kept white; but you must teach her, M'selle Close, such things as the English and the French and the German and the géographie for two hours every other day, and on the other days, M'selle Blanc shall teach her. You must be at the château for two hours each day, but before anything is firmly established, you must go to the château and acquaint M. le Comte with the fact that you are a poor gouvernante, one of the high nobility. You must present yourself to him as M'selle de Close, and your friend must be M'selle de Blanc; and I will pay you well, ah well; that is, if you keep strictly to your post; keep firmly to the lessons which I have set you—the white heart to be kept white; the holy things to be instructed to la petite, comprenez-vous?"
"Ah, oui," said M'selle Close. "And you will pay well, Comtesse?"
"According to your merits will I pay. I care not how much, so long as it pleases mon mari. Get ready at once and I will drive you, M'selle Close, to the Château St. Juste."
M'selle certainly saw a good thing before her. She dressed according to the directions of Madame very simply and quietly. She removed the rouge from her cheeks and the artificial darkness from beneath her eyes. She was no longer a pretty woman, but she was, according to Madame, one with l'air distingué.
Soon they reached the château. Little Margot had not yet returned home. She was at her dancing class and was perfectly happy.
Madame rushed gaily into the presence of mon Alphonse.
"I have found her and she is a treasure. Listen, harken, she belongs to the nobility. She is M'selle de Close. Her friend also is M'selle de Blanc. She is poor, but she is simple, aristocratic, learned. She will teach thy granddaughter for two hours every second day. On alternate days M'selle de Blanc will do likewise. I have brought her back with me for thee to see."
"Ah, but I am tired!" said the Comte. "I did not know that thou wouldst be si vite, ma Comtesse."