fe, of which, indeed, she
knew nothing, but that it lay in a sort of luminous haze of
success and happiness. She never doubted she would attain it;
it was not an affair of the imagination only, it was to be a
most certain reality; she had arranged it all in those long
weeks gone by, and now that the beginning was actually made,
she was ready to look at it from the most practical point of
view. Taking out her little purse, she began to count her
money for at least the fiftieth time, as she walked along in
the darkness.

"I have here twenty-six francs," she said to herself; "out of
these, I must pay my journey to Spa. Why should I not go to
Spa on foot? It cannot be a very long way; I remember that
papa sometimes went backwards and forwards twice in the day
from Chaudfontaine. I have already come a great way, and I am
not in the lest fatigued. If I could do that, I should save a
great deal of money--not that I am afraid I shall not have
plenty without that; ten francs would be sufficient, but it
will be perhaps safer if I can keep fifteen. Let me see; I
must pay for my room at Spa. I wonder whether Madame Bertrand
is still the landlady at the Hotel de Madrid. Also I must have
some breakfast and some dinner; all this, however, will not
cost me ten francs. I imagine I could still take the train
from Chaudfontaine to Spa. Ah, I am getting very tired; I
wonder if I have much further to go. I think I must rest a
little while."

Madelon, in fact, but lately recovered from her fever, and for
many months unused to much exercise, was in no sort of
condition for a six or seven miles' walk. She had started with
great courage, but it seemed to her that she had already been
on her journey quite an indefinite length of time, and that
she must be near the end, whilst in fact she had only
accomplished half the distance. She would sit down for a short
time, she thought, and then the rest would soon be
accomplished, and she looked about for a seat of some kind.
The road hitherto could hardly have been called lonely, for
houses had been scattered on either side, and part of the way
had led through a large village, where, from some uncurtained
window, from some cafe or restaurant, long gleams of light had
shot across the road, revealing for an instant the little
figure passing swiftly along, glad to hide again in the
obscurity beyond. But all this was left behind now, and as far
as she could make out, she was quite in the open country