‘You are not glad, Madame; you don’t love me—­you never did,’ I exclaimed with sudden vehemence.

’Yes, I am very glad; you know not, chere petite niaise, how I ’av desire to educate you a leetle more.  Let us understand one another.  You think I do not love you, Mademoiselle, because you have mentioned to your poor papa that little dereglement in his library.  I have repent very often that so great indiscretion of my life.  I thought to find some letters of Dr. Braierly.  I think that man was trying to get your property, my dear Maud, and if I had found something I would tell you all about.  But it was very great sottise, and you were very right to denounce me to Monsieur.  Je n’ai point de rancune contre vous.  No, no, none at all.  On the contrary, I shall be your gardienne tutelaire—­wat you call?—­guardian angel—­ah, yes, that is it.  You think I speak par derision; not at all.  No, my dear cheaile, I do not speak par moquerie, unless perhaps the very least degree in the world.’

And with these words Madame laughed unpleasantly, showing the black caverns at the side of her mouth, and with a cold, steady malignity in her gaze.

‘Yes,’ I said; ‘I know what you mean, Madame—­you hate me.’

’Oh! wat great ogly word!  I am shock! vous me faites honte.  Poor Madame, she never hate any one; she loves all her friends, and her enemies she leaves to Heaven; while I am, as you see, more gay, more joyeuse than ever, they have not been ’appy—­no, they have not been fortunate these others.  Wen I return, I find always some of my enemy they ’av die, and some they have put themselves into embarrassment, or there has arrived to them some misfortune;’ and Madame shrugged and laughed a little scornfully.

A kind of horror chilled my rising anger, and I was silent.

’You see, my dear Maud, it is very natural you should think I hate you.  When I was with Mr. Austin Ruthyn, at Knowl, you know you did not like a me—­never.  But in consequence of our intimacy I confide you that which I ’av of most dear in the world, my reputation.  It is always so.  The pupil can calomniate, without been discover, the gouvernante.  ’Av I not been always kind to you, Maud?  Which ’av I use of violence or of sweetness the most?  I am, like other persons, jalouse de ma reputation; and it was difficult to suffer with patience the banishment which was invoked by you, because chiefly for your good, and for an indiscretion to which I was excited by motives the most pure and laudable.  It was you who spied so cleverly—­eh! and denounce me to Monsieur Ruthyn?  Helas! wat bad world it is!’

’I do not mean to speak at all about that occurrence, Madame; I will not discuss it.  I dare say what you tell me of the cause of your engagement here is true, and I suppose we must travel, as you say, in company; but you must know that the less we see of each other while in this house the better.’