﻿200 PICTORIAL MISCELLANY. 



Eighteen months had rolled away ; and a year and a half, added 

 to Bathilde's age, produced a wonderful change ; if she was not yet 

 a young 1 lady, she was no longer a child. 



M'me de Blinval had left her country house, and had retired to 

 the pretty little city of Blois. 



One day, in summer, M'lle de Blinval, accompanied by her gov- 

 erness, was crossing a square, when her curiosity was aroused by 

 the sound of a tambourine and fife. In the centre of the square, 

 a circle of curious people had formed around a company of mounte- 

 banks, whose costumes had a picturesque originality ; these people 

 were executing tricks of address and perilous leaps. Bathilde prayed 

 her governess to allow her to look at this spectacle. The men and 

 women of this company were seated, with legs crossed, on the four 

 corners of an old carpet extended on the ground, while a young girl 

 was dancing in their midst, playing with two balls of copper and two 

 poniards with blunt blades. The grace, the agility, the suppleness 

 of this dancer were admirable. After having finished the dance, 

 she saluted the circle ; and taking from the carpet a tambourine, 

 commenced taking a collection. During this time, a child placed 

 two chairs in the midst of the carpet, back to back, then cried in a 

 shrill and petulant voice : 



" Hop ! Zazira ! Aca ! Zazira ! hop ! hop ! r 



And the admiring crowd saw a pretty goat, whose gilded horns 

 were en wreathed with flowers, advance on its hind feet. The ani- 

 mal commenced climbing the two chairs, proudly preserving its 

 equilibrium. 



" Ah ! dear lady," said Bathilde to her governess, unable to sup- 

 press a sigh, " I should think that goat whom they call Zazira was 

 my poor Caprice." 



The young danseuse who was taking the collection had just 

 arrived opposite Bathilde, and was fixing upon her attentively her 

 large black eyes ; suddenly she turned hastily, and ran to a basket 

 full of fruit ; she chose from it some cherries, and, putting them 

 around her ears, returned to Bathilde : 



" Buenos dias, senorita ! " said she. 



M'lle de Blinval suddenly started. The rapid flash of a vivid 

 rememtrance had just crossed her brain. In this young danseus 



