Page:Aunt Jo's Scrap-Bag, Volume 2.djvu/197

Rh peasants often used that path, admiring but never hurting a leaf. Hearing that they were in search of an apartment, he instantly begged them to come up and look at some rooms in the villa. His father was a refugee from France, and desired to let a part of his house. Come and behold these delightful rooms.

So charming was the interest he took in the errant damsels that they could not resist, and after rolling up their eyes at one another to express their enjoyment of the adventure, they graciously followed the handsome youth into the villa.

With confiding hospitality he took them everywhere,—into his mother's room, the kitchen, and nursery. In the latter place they found two small boys who bore such a striking resemblance to Napoleon First that the girls spoke of it, and were enraptured at the reply they received.

"Truly yes: we belong to the family. My mother is a Buonaparte, my father Count"

"Here's richness and romance!" "What will Livy say?" whispered the girls to one another, as their guide left them in the salon and went to find his father.