"But, brother, there's no door that I can see."
"No matter, you have been eaves-dropping all the same."
"Eliza!—Panoria!" cried a loud voice. "Where can these children have gone to?"
The young ladies came out of their leafy lurking-place in time to meet the little Bonapartes' nurse, Severia—a tall old woman, who carried on her arm a basket filled with the most luscious tempting pears, grapes, and figs.
"A pear, Severia!" cried Napoleon, darting forward, and thrusting his hand into the basket.
"The saints forbid, child!" exclaimed Severia. "They are for your uncle the canon!"
"Ah!" said Napoleon, drawing back his hand as quickly as if a wasp had stung him.
Panoria burst out laughing.
"I never saw such people!" she said, as soon as her mirth allowed her to speak. "My uncle the canon seems the bugbear of the whole family. Is Severia afraid of him, too?"
"Not more than I am," said Napoleon, boldly.