ALARMED

She met the alarmed parents with a good-humoured, easy grace for no-

body matched her in, I know not whether to say the possession or the as-

sumption of a certain "rondeur et franchise de bonne femme;" which on

various occasions gained the point aimed at with instant and complete suc-

cess, where severe gravity and serious reasoning would probably have

failed.

"Ce pauvre Docteur Jean!" she would say, chuckling and rubbing joyous-

ly her fat little white hands; "ce cher jeune homme! lé meilleur créature du

monde!" and go on to explain how she happened to be employing him for

her own children, who were so fond of him they would scream themselves

into fits at the thought of another doctor; how, where she had confidence for

her own, she thought it natural to repose trust for others, and au reste, it was

only the most temporary expedient in the world; Blanche and Angélique