Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III A NEW FRIEND
T3UT you’re doing the ‘ Tranquillus ’ capi- - tally! cried Jeanne, bursting with suppressed giggles, as she helped Mayken to unfasten her new girdle.
Oh, but you did look tranquil, with your head leaning back, and those dark lashes resting on your pink cheeks! And I, if it had been I, Madame would have shaken me well; but she looked at you as if you were that naughty, impertinent son of hers, the Prince Alexander. Have you seen him yet? Madame adores him… . ‘ Amid cruel waves,’ she rattled on, holding up the second clasp;
well, if Madame Renard and the rest of them are not cruel waves, I ‘m a Spaniard! They looked ready to drown you, too; they don’t like a new favorite. Poor little Mayken, she was already heartbroken, and Jeanne’s teasing added to the torture.
How could I! Oh, how could I go to sleep !
she said, forcing back the tears and looking at Jeanne in despair.
It didn’t look difficult!
cried Jeanne, mockingly leaning her head against the high back of a great oak chair and letting her eyelids gradually droop. Then she shook her yellow curls out of the jewelled net that confined them, and seized Mayken affectionately around the waist.
And now, my dear cousin, Madame will be truly angry if you are not with her very soon. Come, Gu- dula, and make Mademoiselle of Orange ready for bed!
she called to the round-faced Dutch maid who stood waiting at the door. The sunny, laughing little Jeanne of Egmont adored her cousin Marie, and was very happy in having her at court; but from babyhood she could never resist teasing the serious little thing, and Mayken was always in alarm over Jeanne’s daring ways. Mayken went back to the bedchamber, feeling frightened and tired out. But the Duchess spoke very kindly to her, and Madam…