To my joy, when we had made our final reverences, he never came near
me again all the evening. I found myself among some young maidens
who were friends of mine, and in our eager talk together I began to
forget what had passed, or to hope it was only some teasing pastime
of the Prince and Eustace.
When we were seated in the coach on the way to our house my father
began to laugh and marvel which had been the most shy, the gallant or
the lady, telling my mother she need never reproach the English with
bashfulness again after this French specimen.
'How will he and little Meg ever survive to-morrow's meeting!' he
said.
Then I saw it was too true, and cried out in despair to beg them to
let me stay at home, and not send me from them; but my mother bade me
not be a silly wench. I had always known that I was to be married in
France and the queen and my half-brother, M. de Solivet, had found an
excellent parti for me. I was not to embarrass matters by any folly,
but I must do her credit, and not make her regret that she had not
sent me to a convent to be educated.
Then I clung to my father. I could hold him tight in the dark, and
the flambeaux only cast in a fitful flickering light. 'Oh, sir,'
said I, 'you cannot wish to part with your little Meg!'
'You are your mother's child, Meg,' he said sadly. 'I gave you up to
her to dispose of at her will.'
'And you will thank me one of these days for your secure home,' said
my mother.
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