Mother Marie
here you must hide till I have had my supper. Then when it is bedtime I will come and show you the way.”
“I am hungry,” said the Queen.
“I will bring you half of my supper and you shall eat it here,” said Nichette.
“That will be very nice,” laughed Clotilde eagerly. “Hurry, hurry, Nichette!”
Then Nichette went back to the cottage. And there she found a great hubbub. For Pierre was away hunting for his keys which were nowhere to be found, and his good wife was worrying lest he should lose his place if the Lord Chamberlain came to know. To be sure, there was even more exciting news which would keep the Lord Chamberlain from troubling at present about Pierre and his keys. For Clotilde the Queen was missing from the palace! But, truth to tell, poor Pierre was frightened almost out of his wits for fear that the same person who had found the keys had entered the palace and kidnapped the Queen. But this dreadful fear he had not told his wife.
Good Mother Marie gave Nichette her supper, and even helped her to an extra plateful of scones and another slice of black bread. She was so45
