"Oh, Montague," answered the baron; "he is in Paris. He has been
prevented from dining with us by an invitation to his ambassador's; but
he will look in this evening, and you will see him."
"Ah, that's capital!" exclaimed my uncle; "I shall be delighted to see
him again."
When I heard this name mentioned, I pricked up my ears. Still there was
nothing to indicate that the Montague spoken of was the commodore. I
listened with curiosity.
"Will he stay in Paris any length of time?" my uncle continued.
"The whole winter," replied the baroness. "He has come to pick up his
daughters, whom he had left in my charge two years ago, before he went
off to the North Pole."
"Ah, yes! little Maud and Suzannah," observed my uncle.
"Yes, captain; only your little Maud and Suzannah are now grown-up
young ladies," added the baroness with a laugh.
It was impossible for me to entertain any more doubts; and I confess my
mind was far from easy when I heard this. At the thought of meeting the
commodore, my first idea was to get away at once, before he arrived.
Although I was confident of the perfect security of my secret, and
although it was the merest chance that had brought about the intimacy
which I could not have foreseen between Kondjé-Gul and his daughters, I
could not conceal from myself the embarrassment which I should feel in
his presence. As bad luck would have it, I was already seated at the
card-table. I lost my tricks as fast as I could in order to shorten the
game, swearing inwardly at the captain and my uncle, who were both of
them playing with a provoking deliberation, and lecturing me upon my
careless play. At last, having succeeded in losing my three rubbers, I
got up from the table, alleging a sudden attack of head-ache, when at
this very moment, in the next drawing-room where the baroness was
sitting, the servant announced, "Commodore Montague!"
Just imagine my stupefaction, Louis, when I saw the commodore come in,
followed by his two daughters and Kondjé-Gul, whom he introduced to the
baroness and to my aunt as a schoolfellow of his daughters, Maud and
Suzannah!
You may guess what a state of confusion I was thrown into by this
spectacle. Whatever would happen? My chances of retreat being now
completely cut off, I withdrew myself to the midst of a group who were
talking together in a corner of the room. Kondjé-Gul was listening
timidly to the baroness's compliments, and I heard the latter say: "I am much indebted, mademoiselle, to our friend the commodore who has
done us the favour of bringing you with him; Maud and Suzannah had
already spoken to me so often about you, that I had a great desire to
make your acquaintance."