communications from him for good or evil. Pere Michel, who expected
to be put through a course of questioning, remained unquestioned; nor
did he assume the office of commandant, which now was his.

At the end of a week he found himself so much better that he began to
think himself able to carry out the various purposes which lay in his
mind. First of all, he relieved the late commandant of his office,
and took that dignity upon himself.

All this time Mimi had been under the same roof, a prey to the
deepest anxiety. The poignant grief which she had felt for the loss
of her father had been alleviated for a time by the escape of Claude;
but now, since his arrest, and the arrival of the dreaded Cazeneau,
it seemed worse than ever; the old grief returned, and, in addition,
there were new ones of equal force. There was the terror about her
own future, which looked dark indeed before her, from the purposes of
Cazeneau; and then there was also the deep anxiety, which never left
her, about the fate of Claude. Of him she knew nothing, having heard
not one word since his arrest. She had not seen Pere Michel, and
there was no one whom she could ask. The lady of the commandant was
kind enough; but to Mimi she seemed a mere creature of Cazeneau, and
for this reason she never dreamed of taking her into her confidence,
though that good lady made several unmistakable attempts to enter
into her secret.

Such was her state of mind when she received a message that M. Le
Comte de Cazeneau wished to pay his respects to her.

Mimi knew only too well what that meant, and would have avoided the
interview under any plea whatever, if it had been possible. But that
could not be done; and so, with a heart that throbbed with painful
emotions, she went to meet him.

After waiting a little time, Cazeneau made his appearance, and
greeted her with very much warmth and earnestness. He endeavored to
infuse into his manner as much as possible of the cordiality of an
old and tried friend, together with the tenderness which might be
shown by a father or an elder brother. He was careful not to exhibit
the slightest trace of annoyance at anything that had happened since
he last saw her, nor to show any suspicion that she could be in any
way implicated with his enemy.

But Mimi did not meet him half way. She was cold and repellent; or,
rather, perhaps it may with more truth be said, she was frightened
and embarrassed.

In spite of Cazeneau's determina