Cecile smiled and nodded. Amélie sighed; she remained lying for a moment with her head against her sister’s shoulder. Cecile kissed her, but suddenly Amélie started:
“Be careful,” she whispered, “the girls might come in. There ... there’s no need for them to see that I’ve been crying.”
Rising, she arranged her hat before the looking-glass, carefully dried her veil with her handkerchief:
“There, now they won’t know,” she said. “Let’s go in again. I am quite calm. You’re a dear thing....”
They went back to the boudoir:
“Come, girls, it’s time to go home,” said Amélie, in a voice which was still a little unsettled.
“Have you been crying, Mamma?” Suzette at once asked.
“Mamma was a bit upset about Jules,” said Cecile, quickly.