Marie Belloc Lowndes

“ I shall look forward to seeing you again, messieurs, in about ten days' time. Meanwhile, my young niece can have a real rest. She has been ill, and must not over-exert herself. There will be plenty of time to show her the sights of Monte Carlo after you return."
They were standing round the little gate which formed the boundary of the property of La Solitude, and after shaking hands, English fashion, with Captain Stuart and M. Popeau, the Count and Lily slowly made their way up to the house again.
The Countess was waiting for them, rather impatiently, in the salon. ”

“ But when the genial Frenchman threw out a suggestion that Miss Fairfield should come back with him and with Captain Stuart to spend an hour at the Casino, the Countess shook her head.
“No, no,” she exclaimed. “Nice English people do not gamble on Sunday, M. Popeau! I should have thought that even you would have known that, speaking such beautiful English as you do. I seldom go down the hill. But soon my son will be here, and he will escort Miss Fairfield where I myself may not go. My son is an Italian, so he can do as he likes when he comes here ”

“ She asked herself inconsequently what exactly he had meant when he said that he felt as if he had known her a lifetime? But all she said was:
“They are very kind to me in their own way, and I think I'm going to be quite happy here.” ”

“ I suppose you know some lady who would put me up, Aunt Cosy?”
The Countess hadn't the slightest idea of what Lily meant by being “put up,” but she nodded amiably.
“Oh, yes,” she said, “I will certainly find some lady. Meanwhile your Uncle Angelo will take you down to Monte Carlo to-morrow morning, just to show you the way. He has purchases to make, and he will be able to see about the tennis. It is, so I understand, quite a young girl's game.” ”

“ A visit from the police always entails a great deal of fuss and unpleasantness on the Continent.”
During the same little expedition Lily bought, at a very big price, six wicker chairs and a little outdoor table as a present to Aunt Cosy; and to her relief the Countess seemed delighted with the gift. As the days went on it became increasingly clear to Lily Fairfield that either the Count and Countess Polda were very poor, or very mean. They were always trying to save a sou here and a sou there; they were extraordinarily fond, too, of talking about money. ”

“ One rather surprising, and, yes, exciting, thing happened to Lily during that long, dull first week at La Solitude.
Captain Stuart wrote her three longish letters. They were simple, informal, pleasant letters, telling her something of how Milan had struck him, and how grateful he was to good-natured M. Popeau. But though they were in a sense quite ordinary epistles, they gave the girl pleasure, and made her feel less lonely. ”