It was true, but they were tears of joy. Cecile threw herself on my
bosom perfectly overwhelmed with happiness, poor little thing,
declaring that she owed it all to me, and that though he could not
remain now, he had promised that she should hear from him. He was
enchanted with his children; indeed, how could he help it? And she
would have kept me up all night, discussing every hair of his
moustache, every tone in the few words he had spoken to her. When at
last I parted from her I could not help being very glad. Was the
victory indeed won, and would my Philippe's sister become a happy
wife?
I trusted that now he had seen her he would be armed against Madame
Croquelebois, who you will remember had been his grandmother's dame
de compagnie, and a sort of governess to him. She had petted him as
much as she had afterwards tyrannized over his poor little wife, and
might still retain much influence over him, which she was sure to
exert against me. But at any rate he could not doubt of his wife's
adoration for him.
We waited in hope. We heard of the Prince in attendance on the
Queen-Regent, and we knew his aide-de-camp could not be spared, and
we went on expecting all the morning and all the evening, assuring
Cecile that military duty was inexorable, all the time that we were
boiling over with indignation.
My mother was quite as angry as we were, and from her age and
position could be more effective.
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