Would he be able to hold his father at bay
even with the assistance of M. de Coralth and the Marquis de
Valorsay? A thousand questions rose to his lips, for he was eager
to hear the particulars of his mother's flight; but Madame
d'Argeles hurried on with her story as if she feared her strength
would fail before she reached the end.
"I was alone with you, Wilkie, in this great city," she resumed.
"A hundred francs was all that I possessed. My first care was to
find a place of shelter. For sixteen francs a month, which I was
compelled to pay in advance, I found a small, meagrely furnished
room in the Faubourg Saint Martin. It was badly ventilated and
miserably lighted, but still it was shelter. I said to myself
that we could live there together by my work, Wilkie. I was a
proficient in feminine accomplishments; I was an excellent
musician, and I thought I should have no difficulty in earning the
four or five francs a day which I considered absolutely necessary
for our subsistence. Alas! I discovered only too soon what
chimerical hopes I had cherished. To give music lessons it is
necessary to obtain pupils. Where should I find them? I had no
one to recommend me, and I scarcely dared show myself in the
streets, so great was my fear that your father would discover our
hiding-place. At last, I decided to try to find some employment
in needlework, and timidly offered my services at several shops.
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