It was not these, however, that held the girl's attention so fixedly,
but the cut Venetian glass on the inlaid cabinets and the gold ornaments
on the carved Florentine mantel.
"Home at last," he said with a smile; and, opening another door on the
left, he led her unresistingly into a second room.
But here the girl seemed as if struck dumb with astonishment. She was
evidently overwhelmed by the magnificence and luxury on which her eyes
rested, and Leroy smiled in amusement at her unspoken admiration.
"Come and warm yourself," he said kindly, drawing one of the divans
nearer to the fire.
Lightly she trod over the rose carpet, and dropped with a sigh into the
chair.
"Give me your hands. Don't hold them near the fire yet," he said, and
began to gently chafe the poor blue fingers, for he knew the danger of
too sudden heat. "That is better--they will soon get warm. And now we
will have something to eat."
He crossed over to the bell; and in a few moments the door opened
noiselessly.
"Let us have some supper, Norgate," said Leroy; and the dignified
man-servant disappeared as silently as he had entered, while his master
returned to the fire-place, and stood looking down at the girl he had
rescued.
As yet she had not spoken; but her eyes had been wandering over the many
splendours of the room. Suddenly she lifted them to the handsome face
above her, and said in a low, awe-struck whisper: "Is this the king's palace? And are you a prince?"
Adrien Leroy smiled.
"By no means," he said. "Ah! here comes something you require, I know,"
he added, as the door opened, and Norgate entered, bearing a large
silver tray.
Having set the chairs to table, and placed the wine and glasses at hand,
the man announced respectfully that supper was served. His master
dismissed him, guessing that the girl would be less embarrassed if alone
with him; and Norgate retired with a face as expressionless as if the
entertaining of "street waifs"--as he mentally termed the young
visitor--were of nightly occurrence.
Adrien placed a plate of cold chicken on a low table beside her.
"You are warm there," he said, as he poured her out a glass of wine.
The girl looked up into his face with a mute, questioning glance; then,
taking courage from the kindly eyes, she picked up her knife and fork
with long, thin, but well-shaped hands.
Leroy turned to the table, and by dint of helping himself from various
dishes, under a pretence of making a hearty meal, he gave her
confidence; and presently he saw that she had commenced to eat. Adrien
rose from time to time, and waited on her with a delicacy and tenderness
with which few of his friends would have credited him; till, with a sigh
of content, she laid down the knife and fork.