CHAPTER XVII
LADY JANE’S DANCING-MASTER
Among all Lady Jane’s friends there was no one who congratulated her on her good fortune with half the enthusiasm and warmth displayed by little Gex.
“Vell, vell, my dear leetle lady,” he said, rubbing his small hands delightedly. “Vhy, you are in luck, and no mistake! To have such a teacher for the music as Mam’selle Diane d’Hautreve is as good as a fortune to you. She’ll give you the true style,—the style of the French nobility, the only style vhat is good. I know just vhat that is. Peoples think old Gex knows nothing; but they’re mistaken, leetle lady; they’re mistaken. They don’t know vhat I vas once. There isn’t nothing in music that Gex hasn’t heard. I’ve seen everything fine, and I’ve heard everything fine, vhen I used to be alvays at the French opera.”
“Oh, were you in the French opera?” interrupted Lady Jane, with sparkling eyes; “that’s where Pepsie says I shall sing, and I’m going to have flowers and—and a throne, and—oh, I don’t remember; but everything, everything!” she added impressively, summing it all up in one blissful whole.
“Vell, I shouldn’t vonder, I shouldn’t vonder,” said Gex, looking at her proudly, with his head on one side, much like an antiquated crow, “for you’ve got one voice already vhat vould make soft the heart of one stone.”
“Oh, Mr. Gex, where did you hear me sing?” and Lady Jane looked at him with grave surprise. “I never sang for any one but Pepsie, and Mam’selle Diane, and you weren’t there.”
“But I’ve heard you sing; I’ve heard you, my leetle lady,” insisted the old man, with twinkling eyes. “It vas one morning vhen you vas a-singing vith Mam’selle Diane, outside on the banquette. I stepped out, and there I heard you sing like one leetle bird; but you didn’t know I vas a-listening.”
“No, I didn’t know it,” said Lady Jane, smiling brightly again. “I’m glad you heard me, and some day I’ll sing, ‘Sleep, baby, sleep,’ for you if you’d like to hear it.”
Mr. Gex assured her that he would, and added that he adored the music. “I haven’t heard the fine music for many years,” he remarked, with a little sigh, “and I used to be just crazed for it; but I vas different then, leetle lady, I vas different; you vouldn’t think it, but I vas different.”
“You didn’t wear a handkerchief over your ears then, did you, Mr. Gex?”