"It was so queer," persisted I, "that she made us promise not to say anything to Mrs. Long!"
"Oh, that will all be explained."
"I felt like a conspirator stealing out of the house this morning."
"As if we don't go to the French market whenever we like! And there's certainly no harm in going to meet a lady. If it had been a young man now!" and Lilly's laugh rang out gayly.
The French market was as pretty and bright as usual, though it was the dull Ash Wednesday morning. The long line of stalls was bright with fruits and flowers, and walking about, buying, staring, chatting, drinking coffee, eating oranges, were people of almost every nationality under heaven. However, the unique interest of the scene, this morning at least, was thrown away upon us. In the crowd we soon distinguished the figure of the little Frenchwoman, and joined her at once. She had on a close black bonnet and a veil, and did not look nearly so pretty as she had looked the night before. Her skin lacked delicacy, and there was a haggard look about her eyes.
"Mes chères demoiselles," she exclaimed, "I have thought of nothing all night but of seeing you here this morning."
We very truthfully assured her that such had been the case with ourselves.
"You did not wear them?" exclaimed she, looking at Lilly's ears.
"I meant to," said Lilly with a start, "but getting off in such a hurry, and never wearing them in the morning, I forgot to put them in."
"Ah, yes: they are too handsome for morning. You have ze good taste, mademoiselle. Come, now, let us take some coffee together, then we can go over where it is quiet and talk."