erness had sunk fainting to the ground when she saw that the
danger was over. Virginie had thrown herself down and was crying
loudly; while Jeanne stood pale, but quiet, beside them.

The marquis directed one of the men to run up to the chateau and
bid a female servant bring down water and smelling-salts for the
governess, and then lifted Virginie up and tried to soothe her,
while he stretched out his other hand to Jeanne.

"You are shaken, my Jeanne," he said tenderly, "but you have borne
the trial well. I did not hear you cry out, though madame, and the
little one screamed loudly enough."

"I was frightened enough, father," she said simply, "but of course
I wasn't going to cry out; but it was very terrible; and oh, how
noble and brave he was! And you know, papa, I feel ashamed to think
how often I have been nearly laughing because he was awkward in
the minuet. I feel so little now beside him."

"You see, my dear, one must not judge too much by externals," her
father said soothingly as she hid her face against his coat, and he
could feel that she was trembling from head to foot. "Older people
than you often do so, and are sorry for it afterwards; but as I am
sure that you would never allow him to see that you were amused no
harm has been done."

"Shall I thank him, papa?"

"Yes, presently, my dear; he has just gone off with Ernest to see
them bury the dog."

This incident caused a considerable change in Harry's position in
the family. Previously he had been accepted in consequence of the
orders of the marquis. Although compelled to treat him as an equal
the two boys had in their hearts looked upon him as an inferior,
while the girls had regarded him as a sort of tutor of their
brothers, and thus as a creature altogether indifferent to them.
But henceforth he appeared in a different light. Ernest acted up to
the spirit of the words he had spoken at the time, and henceforth
treated him as a comrade to be respected as well as liked. He tried
to learn some of the English games, but as most of these required
more than two players he was forced to abandon them. He even asked
him to teach him to box, but Harry had the good sense to make
excuses for not doing so. He felt that Ernest was by no means his
match in strength, and that, with all his good-will, he would find
it difficult to put up good-naturedly with being knocked about. He
therefore said that it could not be done without boxing-gloves, and
these it would