To our surprise, Cecile did not seem so much dismayed at returning
under the power of her tyrant as we had expected. It was doing what
her husband wished, and living where she would have news of him, and
perhaps sometimes see him.
That was all she seemed to think about, except that she would have
her children still with her, and not be quite cut off from us.
And I took this consolation, that she was in better health and a
woman of twenty-two could not be so easily oppressed as a sickly
child of sixteen.
But we were very unhappy about it, and Annora almost frantic, above
all at Cecile's meek submission. She was sure the poor thing would
be dead in a month, and then we should be sorry.
CHAPTER XVIII.
TWELTH NIGHT, OR WHAT YOU WILL.
My mother declared that M. d'Aubepine would fare the better if we
left her alone and did not excite the jealousy of Madame
Croquelebois, who would be quite capable of carrying her off into the
country if she were interfered with.
Indeed it was not an easy or a pleasant thing to go about Paris just
then, and we were obliged to stay at home. The town was in a
restless state, mobs went about, hooting or singing political songs,
or assembled in front of the Louvre to abuse the Cardinal, and any
one who was supposed to belong to the Court party might at any time
be mobbed. Annora and I much missed the explanations that our
brother, Lord Walwyn, used to make to us; and the listening to his
conversations with M.
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