ittest to leave him master
in his own house, at the same time reserving to herself liberty to
control her own actions. This was fair enough.

At about 8 o'clock, as agreed on, Marguerite took her little lantern,
and going round the path to where they had been standing two evenings
before, she flashed the light three times trusting that Charlie would be
able to see it. Meanwhile Jacques had come out from one of the mill
sheds, where he had been concealed, and went quickly up to the room
behind the granary, only pausing on his way to tell old Pierre that he
was there.

We will leave him waiting for his prey, with a dark sardonic smile on
his ill-favoured countenance, and return to Marguerite, who is waiting
in the granary for her lover, confident that "all is well," and having
no thoughts but pleasant ones concerning the coming meeting. Even the
remembrance of Hirzel's absence brings no disquietude with it. Her
thoughts shape themselves into a blessing when her brother's bright
manly face comes before her, and then she bends all her attention to
listen for Charlie's approach.

She had been waiting for rather more than an hour, when she heard her
name called softly; then up Charlie scrambled, and when standing on the
wheel his head comes just half way up the window.

"Well, here I am, Marguerite; I hope you were not alarmed at the time I
have taken, but I was on duty when I saw your signal, and it was some
little time before I could get away."

"I was getting a little anxious, Charlie, but 'all is well' now that you
have come."

"Ah, that is right! but how are you to-night, little woman--all the
fancies fled?"

"Almost Charlie, but still not quite; you will think me very foolish, I
know, but everything was so beautifully arranged for my seeing you
easily to-night that I can't help thinking that some one else has been
arranging too for some purpose of his own."

"Come, come, you little croaker, try and put such thoughts out of your
pretty head, and remember I 'deserve the fair' after having been so
'brave' as to mount this rickety wheel, but I wish you would take this
parcel from me; the bobbins are in it, which I have perilled my life to
bring! I hope you see my devotion clearly, eh?"

"I do, indeed, Charlie, and now I shall work all the better and be more
in earnest; I don't mean you to have all the work on your shoulders when
we marry; I know I shall be able to get sale for my lace amongst the
beautiful ladie