Victor--are you glad to see me?"
She stood still as she spoke, but he walked on, and she had to rejoin
him as he answered in a matter-of-fact voice:
"Of course I am, my dear child."
His mouth she saw was set and determined. Feeling as though he had
struck her, she went on in silence, and the silence remained unbroken
until they had reached the house.
"I may go to him at once?" Joyselle asked her, as Burton helped him take
off his coat.
"Yes."
They went upstairs together, and outside the door of the boudoir he
paused and took the violin out of its case.
Tommy, who was talking very loud about Alexander the Great, stared at
him without recognition.
"Allo, Tommy; here I am," Joyselle began, taking the boy's hand. "Come
to scold you for being ill and worrying us all."
"I don't want you--not that it isn't very kind of you to come. I
want--him. And he won't come."
Joyselle frowned at Brigit, who was about to speak. "Well--I am going to
play for you, and it may amuse you till he does come."
He tuned his violin and began to play.
Brigit sat down by the bed and laid her hand in Tommy's.
It was a simple nursery melody that Joyselle played:
"_Il etait une bergere, he ron ron ron, petit pa-ta-pon_----" She had
known it all her life, but to Tommy, who had always sternly refused to
have anything to do with the French governesses his mother had got for
him, it was new.
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