The Tapestry Room: A Child's Romance

night I have s

g so round

d Na

nquired Jeanne the next morning in

hesit

t last. "At least--" he s

alone in Jeanne's room, and Marcelline had drawn a little table close to the fire for them, for this morning it seemed colder than ever; fresh snow had fallen during the night, and out in the garden nothing was to be seen but smoothly-r

coffee was very nice, much nicer, Hugh thought, than the very weak tea which his grandmother's maid used to give him for breakfast at home. He stirred it rou

ut it? I thought you were going to have all sorts of funny things to tell me. You sai

the raven standing at the end of the bed, but that time I wasn't dreaming. I'm sure I wasn't; but I was very sleepy, and I couldn't hear what he said. He seemed to want me to do something or other, and then he nodded

gerly. "O Chéri, I think that's

all running about, and Dudu seemed to be talking to me all the time. But it was just a muddle; you know how dreams go sometimes. And when I woke up the fire wa

, "I do hope you'll dr

to sleep, and it's morning in one minute. I don't like that mu

and. It's about Dudu. You said it wasn't a dream, you were sure. Do you think he was really there, at the foot of the bed? It might have be

very queer one, for I never felt more awake in my life. I'll tell you what,

don't know that it would be much

ps she was a little ashamed of having been so frightened; perhaps she was still a little afraid of Dudu; and most of all, I think,

is funny ways," she thought, "perhaps he'll

anaged to amuse themselves very well. Marcelline would not hear of their going out, not even as far as the c

m sure Houpet has been kind to him. What a pity pets can't

ught that, and I often have thoug

r. You should just see them sometimes. Why, there they are!" she added, going close up to the

of feathers was perched on the top rung of a short garden ladder, his two little hens as usual close beside him. And down below on

clear crow he descended from his perch, stepped close up to Dudu, looked him in the face, and then quietly m

talking to each other," said H

ne; "the party you said you'd give to the

castle with the lots of steps up to it, where the peacocks stand. Don't y

ou might tell Dudu to take us, Chéri. Perhaps it's a fairy palace really, thou

tion, and seemed now to be looking up at the two children with the same supercilious stare he had bestowed upon the cock and hens. "Good morning, Monsieur Dudu; I hope you wo

ery polite to him. Look at him now, Chéri; does

e, his head more on one side than ever, and his l

oot of the bed, on the wood part,

cocks his head on one side and sticks his claw out like that. I quite believe then that he's a wicked enchanter. O

r, and eat nasty little worms and f

oup," said Jeanne pathetically. "O Chéri, we must indeed be very polite to Dudu, and take great p

ren were allowed to go out into the garden and visit their pets. Nibble seemed quite at home in his new quarters, and was now permitted to run about the chicken-house at his own sweet will; and Jeanne grea

little cock to peck some crumbs out of her hand; "isn't he a darling,

Hugh, consideringly; "do you real

ignantly; "all my pets are pretty,

an amiable little push to the tortoise, who happened to b

ow a great deal," said J

By the by, Jeanne," he wen

" said

I must have dreamt of Dudu again last night; but now

t that he came and stood at the foot of the bed again,

at he and the peacocks on the wall were whispering to each

a party, and were planning abou

's just a sleepy feeling of having heard something. I can't rem

ng more. I was awake ever so long in the night, ever so

'll try to keep awake to-night, because Marcelline says t

e anything funny, you'll prom

eanne reminded him of it at intervals all that day, and when the children kiss

of the window before going to bed showed him Monsieur Dudu on the terrace path, enjoying the moonlight apparently, but, Hugh strongly suspected, bent on misc

on the wall at all. The moon must be going behind a cloud. I wonder if it will be brighter in the middle of the night.

d behold! it was to-morrow morning-there was Marcelline standing beside the bed, telling hi

a pity! I meant to stay awake a

what Jeanne call

," she said. "However, you did not miss much last night. The clouds came

sfy also his little cousin, who was at first quite d

y nice and bright I shall come and wake you, you sleepy Chéri. I do so want to g

ault is it? I am sure you will go to sleep too, if you try to keep awake.

," said Jeanne, "and

garden, and the unusual exercise had made both of them very ready for bed when the time came-took Jeanne's advice, tucked himself up snugly and went off to sleep without thinking of the moonli

ul light-bright and clear, and yet soft. No wonder that Hugh rubbed his eyes in bewilderment-it was not till he sat up in bed and looked well about him, quite awake

see the tapestry in the moonlight. I never could have thought it would have looked

again, the two peacocks had spread their tails, and now stood with them proudly reared fan-like, at their backs, just like the real living birds that Hugh had often admired in his grandfather's garden. Hugh was too much amazed to rub his eyes again-he could do nothing but stare, and stare he did with all his might, but for a moment or two there was nothing else to be seen. The peacocks stood still-so st

S DUDU!

yet with a certain waiting look about them as if they were expecting some one or something. They were not kept waiting long. The door of the castle opened slowly, very slowly, the peacoc

d to say, "Here you see me for the first time in my rightful character-monarch of all I survey." And somehow Hugh felt that this unspoken address was directed to him. Then, quietly and dignifiedly still, the raven turned, first to the right, then to the left, and gravely bowed to the two attendant peacocks, who each in turn saluted him res

unted on. And "what is he going to do now?" he added, as Dudu, arrived at the foot of the stairs, looked calmly about him for a minute or two, as if considering his next movem

ered Jeanne's charges to be very polite to the raven, and thought it better to take no liberties with him, but to wait patiently till he heard what Monsieur Dudu had to s

expecting me,

hesit

you please, Monsieur Dudu," he exclaimed, suddenly starting up, "do let me go and call Jeanne. I

head on one side and look

not go for Jeanne. I do

hy should Dudu lay down t

omised,"

e to perform," he said sententiously. "Besides, even if you di

ittle Jeanne gone away. Oh no, you must be j

r she has any notion of, even though if you went into her room you

d puzzled, thoug

is away, I suppose," he sa

n cocked his h

way at present. Now, tell me what it is you w

tapestry. It looked so bright and real a few minutes ago," he added, turning to the wall, which was now only faintly illumined by the moonlight, and looked no diffe

en. "So you want to see th

s dreadfully to see it. I thought," he added, rather timidly, "I thought we might

enerally-I may be mistaken, of course, my notions are very old-fashioned, I

aight at Hugh, cocking his he