“You will look, Mademoiselle.”
She nodded, and knelt by the bundle, while the two men waited.
“There is little here, M’sieu. I brought only what was necessary. Here is a comb. Would that please them?”
She reached back to them, holding out a high tortoise-shell comb. They took it and examined it.
“It is beautiful,” said Menard. 210
“Yes; my mother gave it to me.”
“Perhaps, Mademoiselle,––perhaps there is something else, something that would do as well.”
“How many should you have, M’sieu?”
“Five, I had planned. There will be five words in the speech.”
“Words?” she repeated.