.

"We have seen him many a time at Versailles, my friend. You are very
mysterious."

"Have his enemies, or his friends set him free?" demanded the old
Frenchman.

"That," said Bellenger, "I may not tell."

"Does Monsieur know that you are going to take him to America?"

"That I may not tell."

"When do you sail, and in what vessel?"

"These matters, also, I may not tell."

"This man is a kidnapper!" the old noble cried, bringing out his sword
with a hiss. But Philippe held his arm.

"Among things permitted to you," said Philippe, "perhaps you will take
oath the boy is not a Bourbon?"

Bellenger shrugged, and waved his hands.

"You admit that he is?"

[Illustration: "I will again ask permission to take my charge away"]

"I admit nothing, monsieur. These are days in which we save our heads as
well as we can, and admit nothing."

"If we had never seen the dauphin we should infer that this is no common
child you are carrying away so secretly, bound by so many pledges. A man
like you, trusted with an important mission, naturally magnifies it. You
refuse to let us know anything about this affair?"

"I am simply obeying orders, monsieur," said Bellenger humbly. "It is
not my affair."

"You are better dressed, more at ease with the world than any other
refugee I have seen since we came out of France. Somebody who has money
is paying to have the child placed in safety. Very well. Any country but
his own is a good country for him now. My uncle and I will not
interfere. We do not understand. But liberty of any kind is better than
imprisonment and death. You can of course evade us, but I give you
notice I shall look for this boy in America, and if you take him
elsewhere I shall probably find it out."

"America is a large country," said Bellenger, smiling.

He took the boy by the hand, and made his adieus. The old De Ferrier
deeply saluted the boy and slightly saluted his guardian. The other De
Ferrier nodded.

"We are making a mistake, Philippe!" said the uncle.

"Let him go," said the nephew. "He will probably slip away at once out
of St. Bartholomew's. We can do nothing until we are certain of the
powers behind him. Endless disaster to the child himself might result
from our interference. If France were ready now to take back her king,
would she accept an imbecile?"

The old De Ferrier groaned aloud.

"Bellenger is not a bad man," added Philippe.

Eagle watched her playmate until the closing gate h