Page:Helen Leah Reed - Napoleons young neighbour.djvu/91

Rh "The Princess of—" queried one of the French.

"My sister Pauline," said Napoleon, "and you show good taste in admiring her. She is probably one of the loveliest women ever created."

"But now," he continued, when they had seen all the pictures, "let us go down to the cottage and play whist."

Turning reluctantly from the miniatures, the children walked down to the cottage and soon were ready to play.

But the cards did not deal smoothly enough. "Go off there by yourself," said Napoleon to young Las Cases, "and deal until the cards run better. And now, Mees Betsy, tell me about your robe de bal." Betsy's face flushed with pleasure. "Do you really want to see it? I will go upstairs and get it."

To Betsy the ball to be given soon by Sir George Cockburn was a wonderful affair. It was considered a great event by all the people of the island, but for Betsy it had a special significance, because it would be her very first ball. In England, at her age, her