"Perhaps I will not tell," said Margot.
"Thou must not tell, ma petite. The hats and fans thou didst sell were mine and the money goes towards thy dot. Go to my most beautiful établissement each day for one hour, for thou hast most truly the gift of selling, and the title of the little Comtesse goes far. Then I will call for thee and take thee to a school, a school for the daughters of the ancienne noblesse. Wilt thou do this for thy pauvre belle grand-mère and wilt thou keep it dark—very dark from thy grandpère?"
"But why—why must he not know?" asked little Margot.
"Because, ma petite, when I met that most noble and ancient gentleman, the château was going to ruin. He wanted the comfort but he had not l'argent. I told him I had le dot and he married me. He thinks I have given up the établissement where the chapeaux and the robes are, but how could I give them up, ma petite Comtesse, when we would have nothing to live on otherwise? See, thou hast the gift and thou canst help me; one hour a day amongst my chapeaux, one hour a day for la petite Comtesse to show her taste, and then I take thee to the very best school in Arles."
"Will you really, Comtesse?" asked Margot.
"I will, really, my most beautiful, my most lovely bébé. Do not embarrass thyself. All will be well. It is a bargain between us. No word to the Comte, thy grandpère! He is too feeble and too proud. He has the pride of all the St. Justes in his veins, but he lives in comfort out of my établissement. Wilt thou not help me for one hour or two hours a day, little Comtesse?"
"Yes, if you keep your word about the school," said Margot. "I will not otherwise, indeed I will not."
"No fear, ma petite, my word is my bond."
"But," said Margot, "when I get back now, what am I to say to grandpère? How can I talk to him about the shop which is thy shop?"
"Tell him thou didst go into an établissement with me, thy grand'mère, and describe to him the American lady with the stout figure and the red face. Tell him what she wanted and what thou didst suggest. Ah, but he will laugh—he will roar."