LII
THE LITTLE ANGEL
Léodgard had recovered his health; he was entirely cured; still, he had not left the abode of his ancestors. More than once he had formed the plan of returning to his petite maison in Rue de Bretonvilliers; but whenever he had that idea, little Blanche was not with him. As soon as his daughter appeared, as soon as she came running into the room, smiling and holding out her little arms to him, all thought of going away was forgotten; the time passed so quickly with the child, and so pleasantly!
Blanche remained with her father almost all day; Bathilde deprived herself of the pleasure of having her child with her, because she felt that Blanche's presence alone detained Léodgard at the Hôtel de Marvejols. But when the little one had been away from her mother several hours in succession, she always asked to see her; for, in that loving heart, the love that she felt for the count in no wise diminished her affection for her mother.
And one day, when Blanche, having remained longer than usual with Léodgard, asked to go back to her mother, and he, holding her in his arms, would have kept her longer, the child suddenly said to him:
"Well! send for mamma to come here; then I will not ask to go away, because I shall be with both of you."
To this very natural suggestion the count made no reply; he simply cast down his eyes and sighed; but Blanche at once continued:
"Why doesn't mamma ever come here with me? When I ask her to, she always says: 'That would annoy monsieur le comte.'—Are you monsieur le comte?"
"To be sure," Léodgard replied, with a smile.
"Well! don't you want to have mamma come? Has she been naughty?"
Léodgard did not quite know what to say; children always go straight to the point with their questions, and often embarrass the persons to whom they propound them, because grown people are unable to answer as frankly as they are questioned.