on! Will you help me? I
am determined to stand it no longer; it is wearing my life out; I have
not a moment's peace. If I don't get rid of it I believe I shall go
mad."

"What is it you are talking of? I'll help you if I can, but what is
wearing your life out?" said Leon.

[Illustration: THE BARONESS.]

"The baby, of course," said the baron.

"The baby! Well, but what do you want me to do with that! I can't kill
it, you know."

"Of course not, but you said in joke the other day you would take it
with you on one of your trips, and put it out to nurse. I wish to
heaven, Leon, you'd do it in reality. It is no use my sending it to
anyone near here; Mathilde would go after it the next day. My only
chance is to send it somewhere where it will be safe, of course, and
well looked after, but where Mathilde can't go after it, and as she
would go to the end of the world for it if she knew where it was, it
must go where she can't find it; she must not know where it is. No one,
indeed, need know but you, for as far as I am concerned the less I know
about it at present the better; it has spoilt all my happiness. Mathilde
is so wrapped up in that child she does not care a fig for me now; in
fact, I rarely see her. If you can only put that infant safely out of
our way for a year or two, I'll never forget it, Leon."

"Are you in real sober earnest, Arnaut?" asked Leon, who, in his
astonishment, had risen to his feet, and was puffing away vigorously at
his cigar.

"Of course I am. I am willing to pay handsomely for it, and I shall
depend upon you putting it where it will be well taken care of. As for
all the rest, I leave it to you to take it where you like--Australia if
you wish, only don't tell me where it is, or I might cut my own throat
by telling Mathilde if she makes a great scene, as she will when it is
gone. Will you do it, Leon?"

"Whew!" whistled Leon. "I don't care for the work, for if anything
should happen to the child Mathilde would never forgive me nor you
either. However, if you insist, I think I could manage it, but as I am
going to start in two or three hours, there is not much time. I must go
down to the yacht and speak to my men first. If I may tell them I am
taking the child by your express wish I could manage it, I think. The
next difficulty is where to take it, but I have an idea about that, so
I'll be off now, and see what I can arrange. I shall ride, so I shall be
back in an hour."

"Tell them anythi