“How am I to get my cap back?”
These were the words we overheard and then, as a soldier suddenly appeared astride our wall, there were shrieks from the terrified children and angry exclamations from the nuns.
In a second we were all about twenty yards away from the wall, like a group of frightened sparrows flying off to land a little farther away, inquisitive and very much on the alert. “Have you seen my cap, young ladies?” called out the unfortunate soldier in a beseeching tone.
“No, no!” I cried, hiding it behind my back.
“Oh, no!” echoed the other girls with peals of laughter, and in the most tormenting, insolent, jeering way we continued shouting “No!” “No!” running backward all the time in reply to the Sisters who, veiled and hidden behind the trees, were in despair.
We were only a few yards from the huge gymnasium. I climbed up breathless at full speed and reached the wide plank at the top. When there, I unfastened the rope ladder, but as I could not get the wooden ladder up to me by which I had mounted, I unfastened the rings and banged it down so that it broke, making a great noise. I then stood up wickedly triumphant on the plank, calling out: “Here it is—your cap, but you won’t get it now!” I put it on my head and walked up and down, as no one could get to me there. I suppose my first idea had just been to have a little fun, but the girls had laughed and clapped, and my strength had held out better than I had hoped, so that my head was turned, and nothing could stop me then.
The young soldier was furious. He jumped down from the wall and rushed in my direction, pushing the girls out of his way. The Sisters, beside themselves, ran to the house calling for help. The chaplain, the Mother Superior, Père Larcher and everyone else came running out. I believe the soldier swore like a trooper, and it was really quite excusable. Mother Ste. Sophie, from below, besought me to come down and to give up the cap. The soldier tried to get up to me by means of the trapeze, but on seeing this I quickly drew up the knotted rope.
His useless efforts delighted all the pupils, whom the Sisters had in vain tried to send away. Finally the Sister who was doorkeeper sounded the alarm bell, and five minutes later the soldiers from the Sartory Barracks arrived, thinking that a fire had broken out. When the officer in command was told what was the matter, he sent back his men and asked to see the Mother Superior. He was brought to Mother Ste. Sophie, whom he found at the foot of the gymnasium, crying with shame and impotence. He ordered the soldier to return immediately to the barracks. He obeyed after clenching his fist at me, but on looking up he could not help laughing. His cap came down to my eyes and was only kept back by my ears, which were bent, to prevent it from covering my face.
I was furious and wildly excited with the turn my joke had taken.
“There it is—your cap!” I called out, and flung it violently over the wall which skirted the gymnasium and formed the boundary to the cemetery.