e silent forest; damp green mould and lichens
stained it; patches of grey stucco had peeled from it, revealing
underneath the roughly dressed stones. He followed the wall.

Now and then, far in the forest, and indistinctly, he heard faint
sounds--perhaps the cautious tread of roebuck, or rabbits in the bracken,
or the patter of a stoat over dry leaves; perhaps the sullen retirement of
some wild boar, winding man in the depths of his own domain, and sulkily
conceding him right of way.

After a while there came a break in the wall where four great posts of
stone stood, and where there should have been gates.

But only the ancient and rusting hinges remained of either gate or wicket.

He looked up at the carved escutcheons; the moss of many centuries had
softened and smothered the sculptured device, so that its form had become
indistinguishable.

Inside stood a stone lodge. Tiles had fallen from the ancient roof; leaded
panes were broken; nobody came to the closed and discoloured door of
massive oak.

The avenue, which was merely an unkempt, overgrown ride, curved away
between the great gateposts into the woods; and, as he entered it, three
deer left stealthily, making no sound in the forest.

Nobody was to be seen, neither gatekeeper nor woodchopper nor charcoal
burner. Nothing moved amid the trees except a tiny, silent bird belated in
his autumn migration.

The ride curved to the east; and abruptly he came into view of the
house--a low, weather-ravaged structure in the grassy glade, ringed by a
square, wet moat.

There was no terrace; the ride crossed a permanent bridge of stone, passed
the carved and massive entrance, crossed a second crumbling causeway, and
continued on into the forest.

An old Breton woman, who was drawing a jug of water from the moat, turned
and looked at Neeland, and then went silently into the house.

A moment later a younger woman appeared on the doorstep and stood watching
his approach.

As he crossed the bridge he took off his cap.

"Madame, the Countess of Aulnes?" he inquired. "Would you be kind enough
to say to her that I arrive from Lorient at her request?"

"I am the Countess of Aulnes," she said in flawless English.

He bowed again. "I am Captain Neeland of the British Expeditionary force."

"May I see your credentials, Captain Neeland?" She had descended the
single step of crumbling stone.

"Pardon, Countess; may I first be certain concerning _your_ identity?"

There