tleman. Then, too, if
M. de Bois was really the object of her attachment, he might not be
aware of the preference with which she honored him; and it would be the
height of indelicacy for Maurice to allow him to suspect a circumstance
which her modesty would scrupulously conceal. He was sitting in the
library pondering over the embarrassments of his position, when his host
entered. The gentlemen greeted each other with wonted cordiality.

"Did you return from Paris to-day?" asked M. de Bois. "Have you just
come?"

"About an hour ago. I came to you at once to"--

M. de Bois interrupted him. It was the policy of the former to lead the
conversation, that he might avoid direct questions.

"Had you heard that Mademoiselle de Gramont had left the chateau?"

"Yes; my cousin Bertha wrote to me, and"--

Again M. de Bois seized upon the thread of conversation.

"Have you no news from Mademoiselle Madeleine?--no letter?"

"None," sighed Maurice, convinced that, as M. de Bois plunged into the
subject in this straightforward, calm manner, he could not possibly be
in her confidence.

The host went on.

"Has not Count Tristan been able to obtain any trace of her?"

"Thus far, none at all! What _could_ have become of her! Where _could_
she have gone!" exclaimed Maurice; but not in a tone of interrogation,
for he now felt assured that M. de Bois could not answer.

"One thing is certain; what Mademoiselle Mad--ad--adeleine has done must
have been prompted by a noble motive. She could not cause you all this
sorrow unless she imagined herself compelled to take the step which we
must all lament."

"You are right, you only do her justice!" rejoined Maurice.

"What course do you propose to ado--op--opt?" inquired M. de Bois, with
a perfectly natural air of friendly interest.

"I hardly know what to do. I should be thankful for any advice. I shall
first visit the Prefecture at Rennes, to see if she obtained a passport.
She could not surely run the risk of attempting to travel without one.
If the passport be for Great Britain, I may go to Scotland. Possibly she
may have changed her mind, and accepted Lady Vivian's offer,--do you not
think so?"

"It does not appear to me likely. She definitely decli--i--ined."

"Did she tell you so? Did she speak to you on the subject?" asked
Maurice, hastily.

For the first time during the interview, M. de Bois betrayed a slight
disquietude, but he quickly collected himself and answered,--