3. Ermengarde

    On t first morning,  Miss Minc ting itself to observing iced very soon one little girl, about  , rat c look as if s clever, but suredly pouting moutigail, tied ail around ing ting ared  to speak to Sara, stle frigepped for , appealing eyes, anstle girl gave a startled jump, and gree red in .  ears for o remember t quot;la merequot; meant quot;t; and quot;le pere,quot; quot;t;--  too muco find ening to a c only quite familiar  apparently knerifles.

    Sared so  tail so fast t stracted ttention of Miss Mincremely cross at t, immediately pounced upon her.

    quot;Miss St. Jo; s; do you mean by suc? Remove your elboake your ribbon out of your mout up at once!quot;

    Upon tered s s looked as if tears o  so like  to be   to spring into any fray in wable or unhappy.

    quot;If Sara uries ago,quot; o say, quot;s try ress. Ss to figrouble.quot;

    So sook rato fat, slotle Miss St. Jo glancing toter to  treated as a sic tion made even Monsieur Dufarge smile in spite of unate girls eit  Sara did not laugried to look as if s . Jo;le bon pain,quot; quot;lee bong pang.quot; S little temper of  made itters and saupid, distressed childs face.

    quot;It isnt funny, really,quot; s over ;t not to laug;

    ogeto talk, Sara looked for Miss St. Joely in a , so tle girls alo eacance, but t Sara, and people al it.

    quot; is your name?quot; she said.

    to explain Miss St. Jo one must recall t a neime, a someain tire scalked t before until it fell asleep quite exed by excitement and contradictory stories. A neo discuss,  an ordinary acquaintance.

    quot;My names Ermengarde St. Jo; she answered.

    quot;Mine is Sara Cre; said Sara. quot;Yours is very pretty. It sounds like a story book.quot;

    quot;Do you like it?quot; fluttered Ermengarde. quot;I--I like yours.quot;

    Miss St. Jorouble in life  simes to y. If you  languages, and ly learned by , ly expects you to be familiar ents of your lesson books at least; and it is not improbable t  to be able to remember a fes of ory and to e a Frencrial to Mr. St. Jo understand ably and unmistakably dull creature whing.

    quot;Good ; ared at ;times ;

    If  Eliza o learn and quick to forget a tirely rikingly like al dunce of t could not be denied.

    quot;S be made to learn,quot; o Miss Minchin.

    Consequently Ermengarde spent ter part of ears. S t understand t ural t, ance, s and stare at ion.

    quot;You can speak Frenc you?quot; sfully.

    Sara got on to t,  h her hands clasped round her knees.

    quot;I can speak it because I  all my life,quot; s;You could speak it if you .quot;

    quot;O,quot; said Ermengarde. quot;I never could speak it!quot;

    quot;; inquired Sara, curiously.

    Ermengarde s tail wobbled.

    quot;You  no; s;Im al. I cant say t;

    S, and touc;You are clever, arent you?quot;

    Sara looked out of to ttering on t, iron railings and ty brancrees. Sed a fes. S said very often t s;clever,quot; and s had happened.

    quot;I dont kno; s;I cant tell.quot; ttle laug.

    quot;ould you like to see Emily?quot; she inquired.

    quot;; Ermengarde asked, just as Miss Minchin had done.

    quot;Come up to my room and see,quot; said Sara,  her hand.

    t toget upstairs.

    quot;Is it true,quot; Ermengarde ;is it true t you o yourself?quot;

    quot;Yes,quot; Sara ans;Papa asked Miss Minco let me  ell to myself, and I dont like people to  spoils it if I ten.quot;

    to Saras room by time, and Ermengarde stopped s, staring, and quite losing h.

    quot;You make up stories!quot; s;Can you do t--as well as speak Frenc;

    Sara looked at her in simple surprise.

    quot;; s;ried?quot;

    S her hand warningly on Ermengardes.

    quot;Let us go very quietly to t; s;and t quite suddenly; perc;

    S toucerious ed Ermengarde, t test idea  meant, or o quot;catc; or o catcsoever s, Ermengarde  fully exciting. So, quite tation, siptoe along t t noise until turned t s opening revealed te neat and quiet, a fire gently burning in te, and a ting in a c, apparently reading a book.

    quot;O back to  before ;Of course tning.quot;

    Ermengarde looked from o the doll and back again.

    quot;Can s; shlessly.

    quot;Yes,quot; ans;At least I believe s least I pretend I believe s makes it seem as if it rue. ended t;

    quot;No,quot; said Ermengarde. quot;Never. I--tell me about it.quot;

    Sc sually stared at Sara instead of at Emily--notanding t Emily  attractive doll person she had ever seen.

    quot;Let us sit do; said Sara, quot;and I ell you. Its so easy t op. You just go on and on doing it als beautiful. Emily, you must listen. t. Joo ;

    quot;O; said Ermengarde. quot;May I, really? Siful!quot; And Emily  into her arms.

    Never in  life . Jo o go doairs.

    Sara sat upon told range t ratold stories of tories of India; but ed Ermengarde t alked, and   and so fleo t;like lig; o the room.

    quot;e couldnt do it,quot; said Sara, seriously. quot;You see, its a kind of magic.quot;

    Once, ory of to pass over it and put out t in  it made a funny, sad little sound, and t igermined eito do or not to do somet if stle girl, s  out sobbing and crying. But s.

    quot;; Ermengarde ventured.

    quot;Yes,quot; Sara anser a moments silence. quot;But it is not in my body.quot; tried to keep quite steady, and it ;Do you love your fat;

    Ermengardes mouttle. S it  seminary to say t it o you t you could love your fat you e to avoid being left alone in y for ten minutes. Sly embarrassed.

    quot;I--I scarcely ever see ; sammered. quot;;

    quot;I love mine more ten times over,quot; Sara said. quot;t is w my pain is. ;

    S ly dole,  very still for a fees.

    quot;So cry out loud,quot; t Ermengarde, fearfully.

    But s. , black locks tumbled about  still. t lifting her head.

    quot;I promised ,quot; s;And I  soldiers bear! Papa is a soldier. If to bear marciness and, per one ;

    Ermengarde could only gaze at  s t so adore  from anyone else.

    Presently, sed tle smile.

    quot;If I go on talking and talking,quot; s;and telling you t pretending, I s better. You dont forget, but you bear it better.quot;

    Ermengarde did not knoears hem.

    quot;Lavinia and Jessie are `best friends,quot; s;I  c I-- o;

    quot;Im glad of t,quot; said Sara. quot;It makes you tell you ;-- a sudden gleam lig;I can ;