"A bas, Nego!" cried Angelot, as a soldier, with a letter in his hand,
appeared at the window.

The dog sprang up, barking furiously, about to fly at him.

"See to your dog! Take him away!" Monsieur Urbain shouted to Angelot.

The young man threw himself on the dog and dragged him, snarling, out of
the room. Anne looked up with surprise at the soldier, who saluted,
standing outside the low window-sill. Urbain went to him, and took the
letter from his hand.

"It is Monsieur de la Mariniere?" said the man. "At your service. From
Monsieur le General. Is there an answer?"

"Wait a moment, my man," said Urbain.

He broke the large red seal, standing by the window. One glance showed
him the contents of the letter, for they were only three words and an
initial.

--"_Tout va bien. R._"--

But though the words were few, their significance was great, and it kept
the sturdy master of La Mariniere standing motionless for a minute or
two in a dream, with the open letter in his hand, forgetful alike of the
messenger waiting outside, and of his wife behind him at the table. A
dark stain of colour stole up into his sunburnt face, his strong mouth
quivered, then set itself obstinately. So! this thing was to happen.
Treason to Herve, was it? No, it was for his good, for everybody's good.
Sentiment was out of place in a political matter such as this. Sacrifice
of a girl? well, what was gained in the world without sacrifice? Let her
think herself Iphigenia, if she chose; but, after all, many girls as
noble and as pretty had shown her the way she was to go.

"All goes well!" he muttered between his teeth. "This gentleman is
impatient; he does not let the grass grow. Odd enough that we have to
thank our dear Joseph for suggesting it!" Then he woke to outside
things, among them the waiting soldier, standing there like a wooden
image in the blaze of sunshine.

"No answer, my friend," he said.

He took out a five-franc piece and gave it to the man, not without a
glance at the splendid Roman head upon it.

"He only needs a little idealising!" he said to himself; then aloud to
the soldier: "My best compliments to Monsieur le General. Go to the
kitchen; they will give you something to eat and drink after your ride."

"Merci, monsieur!" the soldier saluted and went.

Urbain folded the letter, put it into his pocket, and returned silently
to his breakfast. Something about him warned his wife that it would be
better not to ask que