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Updated: May 22, 2025
Liszt, no doubt, comes nearer the truth when he says that among those who assembled in the salon adjoining Chopin's bedroom, and in turn came to him and watched his gestures and looks when he had lost his speech, the Princess Marcelline Czartoryska was the most assiduous. She passed every day a couple of hours with the dying man.
This illness redoubled the tenderness and devotion of his family and friends: his Marraine and Princess Belgiojoso took turns by his bedside, magnetizing the unruly patient into quiescence; but the person who exercised the greatest influence over him was a poor Sister of Charity, Sur Marcelline, who was engaged to assist in nursing him.
Hugh felt so sorry and disappointed that he shut his eyes tight and tried to go on dreaming, if indeed dreaming it was. But it was no use. He leant his face against Marcelline's soft white apron and tried to fancy it the fairy lady's fairy robe; but it was no use. He had to sit up and look about him. "Well," said Marcelline, "and didn't you like the story?" Hugh looked at Jeanne.
"Marcelline," she added, after a little silence, "there is only one thing I don't like. I wish the little cousin were not going to sleep in the tapestry room." "Not in the tapestry room, Mademoiselle?" exclaimed Marcelline, "why, it is the best room in the house!
"Tease you, Mademoiselle?" Marcelline repeated. "Yes, tease me," insisted Jeanne. "You know I hate people to go on about things I don't understand. Now you're to tell us a story at once, do you hear, Marcelline?" Hugh said nothing, but he looked up in Marcelline's face with his grave blue eyes, and the old woman smiled again.
O Chéri," she added, glancing round, and seeing that Marcelline had left the room, "do let us run out and peep at Houpet for a minute. We can go through the tonnelle, and the chickens' house is close by." She darted off as she spoke, and Hugh, nothing loth, his precious Nibble still in his arms, followed her.
"To go to bed, Mademoiselle, and not yet five o'clock! Oh no, you will wake up nicely by the time you get down to the salon." "I am so tired, Marcelline," persisted Jeanne. "These winter days it is so dull. I don't mind in summer, for then I can play in the garden with Dudu and the tortoise, and all the creatures. But in winter it is so dull.
She seemed as if she was going to speak, when just then a servant came upstairs to say that Jeanne's mother wished the children to go downstairs to her for a little. Jeanne jumped up, delighted to welcome any change. "You must keep the story for another day, Marcelline," she said, as she ran out of the room.
But when Hugh would have asked her more she would not reply, only smiled and shook her head. So the boy went slowly downstairs after Jeanne, wondering what old Marcelline could mean, half puzzled and half pleased. "Only," he said to himself, "if I get into the castle, Jeanne really must come with me, especially if it is to hear stories."
Hugh was so pleased at what Jeanne said that he didn't mind a bit about Marcelline having taken the place of the white lady. Jeanne was the same as he was that was all he cared about. He jumped up eagerly they were in Jeanne's room, close to the fire, and both Jeanne and he had their little red flannel dressing-gowns on. "How did these come here?" he said, touching the sleeve of his own one.
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