lle
Madeleine took her place. We thought your delirium would prevent your
recognizing her."

"Probably it did, at first," returned Maurice; "but, for many nights
before I spoke to you; I was conscious, I was sure of her presence."

"When you did speak, I was startled enough," resumed Gaston; "and it was
a sad revelation to Mademoiselle Madeleine; for, when your reason was
restored, she could not venture any more to come near you."

"Did she go to Dresden? How came my birthday handkerchief to be sent
from Dresden?" asked Bertha.

"That was another piece of stupidity of mine. You see what a blockhead I
have been. Mademoiselle Madeleine wished to send some token of assurance
that she thought of you still; but it was necessary that you should not
know she was in Paris. I had the package conveyed to a friend of mine in
Dresden, and desired him to remove the envelope and send the parcel to
Bordeaux, though you were in Paris at the time. It would not have been
prudent to let you suspect that Mademoiselle Madeleine was aware of your
sojourn in the metropolis. But, when the postmark induced Maurice to
start for Dresden, I saw what a fool I had been. It was just like me to
commit some absurdity,--I always do! I could not dissuade Maurice from
going to Dresden; but Mademoiselle Madeleine wrote a note which I
enclosed to my friend, and desired to have it left at the hotel where
Maurice was staying. After that I was more careful not to commit
blunders. The other birthday tokens, you received, Mademoiselle Bertha,
I always contrived to send you by private hand; thus, there was no
postmark to awaken suspicion."

"But how came Madeleine here in America?" inquired Bertha.

"When the Marquis de Fleury was appointed ambassador to the United
States, Mademoiselle Madeleine learned that Madame de Fleury sorely
lamented her hard fate, and mourned over the probability that she would
be obliged to have all her dresses sent from Paris. This would be a
great inconvenience, for she often liked to have a costume improvised
upon the spur of the moment, and completed with fabulous rapidity.
Mademoiselle Madeleine had frequently thought of America, and felt that
the new country must present a field where she could work more
advantageously than in Paris. She desired Vignon to suggest to Madame de
Fleury that one of the assistants in her favorite _couturiere's_
establishment,--the one with whose designs Madame de Fleury was already
acquainted,--m