IX
IN WHICH MADAME LA MARQUISE
BINDS UP BROKEN HEADS AND BLEEDING HEARTS
THE morning brought us two most welcome pieces of news, one being that Gaston, his head swathed in bandages, had, with the doctor’s approval, gone home an hour before breakfast, and the other that our now adorable Madame la Marquise de la Caux, with Marc as gentleman-in-waiting, would arrive at the Inn some time during the day or evening, the exact hour being dependent upon her duties at the site of her “ruin.” These pieces of news, being positive and without question, were received with the greatest satisfaction, Gaston’s recovery meaning fresh roses in Mignon’s cheeks and madame’s visit giving us another glimpse of her charming personality.
That which was less positive, because immediately smothered and sent around in whispers, were rumors of certain happenings that had taken place shortly after daybreak. Mignon,
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