to her father and the family physician that she felt
sufficient strength to undertake the journey on the following morning.
But she set a condition. She must see Roderick Hardinge at once. The
young officer had all along been most faithful in his attention, calling
morning and evening to visit her, but within the preceding ten or twelve
days neither he nor any other stranger had been admitted to her room.
When Pauline stated her request, the doctor shook his head. M. Belmont,
however, promptly interfered with his permission.

"You shall see him, my dear. I will send for him immediately."

Hardinge was on duty at the ramparts, but he obtained a respite without
delay, and hurried on his errand. Why did his heart throb as he hurried
along the streets? Why did his hand tremble as he raised the knocker at
the well known door. Roderick's instincts were true as are ever those of
single minded men. A shadow had been on him for weeks, and he knew that
it was now thickening into darkness. Spite of himself, a presentiment
possessed his soul that whereas his military prospect was brightening,
his career advancing, and the success of his cause was being every day
more assured, his personal fate was waning, and the dearest hopes of his
heart were verging to the gulf of disappointment. He could not formulate
in words what the matter was. Pauline was exteriorly always the same to
him, and yet there was a change. Had her love cooled? Had it diverted?
Had he done anything to bring about any alteration? Had his political
sentiments in any way affected his conduct towards her? Had he taken
sufficiently into account the anomalous position in which she was placed
by her father's stand during the war? Or were the causes deeper than all
this? And his mind reverted to Cary, to Zulma, to a hundred little
incidents of the past eventful weeks which his excitement magnified into
possible determining causes of the boding change. This and much more had
passed through his mind before reaching M. Belmont's house. But as he
mounted the stair leading to the presence of Pauline, a great hope rose
above all, and when he reached her room, he was in much the same state
of feeling as on ordinary visits. Blessed intervention of Providence
which gives one last moment of bliss before the descending stroke of
destiny.

There is no need to dwell upon this painful interview. The dissection of
the heart serves no useful purpose when there is no gleam of consolation