"Come to me at once. Shall want you all summer. Have wired Gigue. Start to-morrow.
"MARYLLIA VANCOURT."
She pushed this over to Mrs. Tapple, who thankfully noting that she was writing another, took time to carefully read and spell over every word, and mastered it all without difficulty. Meanwhile Maryllia prepared her second message thus: "Louis GIGUE, "CONSERVATOIRE, PARIS.
"Je desire que Cicely passe l'ete avec moi et qu'elle arrive immediatement. Elle peut tres-bien continuer ses etudes ici. Vous pouvez suivre, cher maitre, a votre plaisir.
"MARYLLIA VANCOURT."
"It's rather long,"--she said thoughtfully, as she finished it. "But for Gigue it is necessary to explain fully. I hope you can make it out?"
Poor Mrs. Tapple quivered with inward agitation as she took the terrible telegram in hand, and made a brave effort to rise to the occasion.
"Yes, Miss," she stammered, "Louis Gigue--G.i.g.u.e., that's right-- yes--at the Conservatory, Paris."
"'No, no!" said Maryllia, with a little laugh--"Not Conservatory-- Conservatoire--TOIRE, t.o.i.r.e., the place where they study music."
"Oh, yes--I see!" and Mrs. Tapple tried to smile knowingly, as she fixed her spectacles more firmly on her nose, and began to murmur slowly--"Je desire, d.e.sire--oh, yes--desire!--que--q.u.e.--Cicely- -yes that's all right!--passe, an e to pass--yes--now let me wait a minute; one minute, Miss, if you please!--l'ete--l apostrophe e, stroke across the e,--t, and e, stroke across the e---"
Maryllia's eyebrows went up in pretty perplexity.
"Oh dear, I'm afraid you won't be able to get it right that way!" she said--"I had better write it in English,--why, here's Mr. Walden!" This, as she saw the clergyman's tall athletic figure entering Mrs. Tapple's tiny garden,--"Good-morning, Mr. Walden!" and as he raised his hat, she smiled graciously--"I want to send off a French telegram, and I'm afraid it's rather difficult---"
A glance at Mrs. Tapple explained the rest, and Walden's eyes twinkled mirthfully.
"Perhaps I can be of some use, Miss Vancourt," he said. "Shall I try?"
Maryllia nodded, and he walked into the little office.
"Let me send off those telegrams for you, Mrs. Tapple," he said. "You know you often allow me to amuse myself in that way! I haven't touched the instrument for a month at least, and am getting quite out of practice. May I come in?"