It was ten minutes, however, before she appeared.
"What have you been doing ?" the Princess asked with a frown.
"Finishing some letters," Jeanne answered calmly.

"Did you want me particularly ?" "To whom were you writing ?" the Princess demanded.
"To Monsieur Laplanche for one person," Jeanne answered calmly.
The Princess raised her eyebrows.
"And what had you," she asked, "to say to Monsieur Laplanche ?" "I have written to ask him a few particulars concerning my fortune," Jeanne answered.
"Such as ?" the Princess inquired steadily.
"I want to know," Jeanne said, "at what age it becomes my own, and how much it amounts to.

It seems to me that I have a right to know these things, and as you will not tell me, I have written to Monsieur Laplanche." The Princess held out her hand.
"Give me the letter," she said.
Jeanne made no motion to obey.
"Do you object to my writing ?" she asked.
"I object," the Princess said, "to your writing anybody on any subject without my permission, and so far as regards the information you have asked for from Monsieur Laplanche, I will tell you all that you want to know." "I prefer," Jeanne said steadily, "to hear it from Monsieur Laplanche himself.

There are times when you say things which I do not understand.
I have quite made up my mind that I will have things made plain to me by my trustee." The Princess was outwardly calm, but her eyes were like steel.
"You are a foolish child," she said.

"I am your guardian.