--"Dis moin to nom, piti;--dis moin to nom, chere."
Then, for the first time, she spoke, answering in her argent treble:
--"Zouzoune."
All held their breath. Captain Harris lifted his finger to his lips to
command silence.
--"Zouzoune? Zouzoune qui, chere?"
--"Zouzoune, a c'est moin, Lili!"
--"C'est pas tout to nom, Lili;--dis moin, chere, to laut nom."
--"Mo pas connin laut nom."
--"Comment ye te pele to maman, piti?"
--"Maman,--Maman 'Dele."
--"Et comment ye te pele to papa, chere?"
--"Papa Zulien."
--"Bon! Et comment to maman te pele to papa?--dis ca a moin, chere?"
The child looked down, put a finger in her mouth, thought a moment, and
replied:--
--"Li pele li, 'Cheri'; li pele li, 'Papoute.'"
--"Aie, aie!--c'est tout, ca?--to maman te jamain pele li daut' chose?"
--"Mo pas connin, moin."
She began to play with some trinkets attached to his watch chain;--a
very small gold compass especially impressed her fancy by the trembling
and flashing of its tiny needle, and she murmured, coaxingly:--
--"Mo oule ca! Donnin ca a moin."