ee--"

"Yes," said Monsieur Joseph. "As far as I know, the seed was sown, the
plant grew and flowered, all in that one evening, my poor Angelot.
Well--I hope all is safe now, but women are very clever, and there is
your father, too--he is very clever. If it is not this marriage, it will
be another--but you are not interested now; you have put yourself out of
the question."

"Don't say that, Uncle Joseph--and don't imagine that your troubles are
over. You will have to do a good deal more for me yet, and for Helene."
He spoke slowly and dreamily, then added with a gesture of despair--"But
my father--how could he! Why, the very sight of the man--"

"Ah! Very poetical, your dear father, but not very sentimental. I told
him so. He said the best poetry was the highest good sense. I do not
quite understand him, I confess. Allons! I am afraid I do. He is a
philosopher. He also--well, well!"

"He also--what?"

"Nothing," said Monsieur Joseph, shortly. "What is to be done then, to
help you?"

"I am afraid--for her sake--I must not go quite so much to Lancilly. Not
for a few days, at least, till last night is forgotten. I cannot meet
her before all those people, with their eyes upon me. I believe Madame
de Sainfoy saw that I was lying, that I would give my life for what I
seemed to refuse."

"Do you think so? No, no, she laughed and teased and questioned me with
the others."

"Nevertheless, I think so. But I must know that Helene is well and safe
and not tormented. Uncle Joseph, if you could go there a little
oftener--you might see her sometimes--"

"How often?"

"Every two days, for instance?"

Monsieur Joseph smiled sweetly.

"No, mon petit. What should take me to Lancilly every two days? I have
not much to say to Herve; his ideas are not mine, either on sport or on
politics. And as to Madame Adelaide--no--we do not love each other. She
is impatient of me--I distrust her. She has Urbain, and one in the
family is enough, I think. Voyons! Would your Mademoiselle Moineau do
any harm to Riette?"

"Ah! But no! I believe she is a most excellent woman."

"Only a little sleepy--hein? Well, I will change my mind about that
offer I refused. I will send Riette every day to learn needlework and
Italian with her cousins. She will teach more than she learns, by the
bye! Yes, our little _guetteuse_ shall watch for you, Angelot. But on
one condition--that she knows no more than she does already. You can ask
her what question