ad been good to me, who had been better to
me than I could have dreamed of an angel, who had come into the darkness
of my prison like sunrise. The man Goguelat insulted her. O, he had
insulted _me_ often, it was his favourite pastime, and he might insult
me as he pleased--for who was I? But with that lady it was different. I
could never forgive myself if I had let it pass. And we fought, and he
fell, and I have no remorse."

I waited anxiously for some reply. The worst was now out, and I knew
that she had heard of it before; but it was impossible for me to go on
with my narrative without some shadow of encouragement.

"You blame me?"

"No, not at all. It is a point I cannot speak on--I am only a girl. I am
sure you were in the right: I have always said so--to Ronald. Not, of
course, to my aunt. I am afraid I let her speak as she will. You must
not think me a disloyal friend; and even with the Major--I did not tell
you he had become quite a friend of ours--Major Chevenix, I mean--he has
taken such a fancy to Ronald! It was he that brought the news to us of
that hateful Clausel being captured, and all that he was saying. I was
indignant with him. I said--I dare say I said too much--and I must say
he was very good-natured. He said, 'You and I, who are his friends,
_know_ that Champdivers is innocent. But what is the use of saying it?'
All this was in the corner of the room, in what they call an aside. And
then he said, 'Give me a chance to speak to you in private; I have much
to tell you.' And he did. And told me just what you did--that it was an
affair of honour, and no blame attached to you. O, I must say I like
that Major Chevenix!"

At this I was seized with a great pang of jealousy. I remembered the
first time that he had seen her; the interest that he seemed immediately
to conceive; and I could not but admire the dog for the use he had been
ingenious enough to make of our acquaintance in order to supplant me.
All is fair in love and war. For all that, I was now no less anxious to
do the speaking myself than I had been before to hear Flora. At least, I
could keep clear of the hateful image of Major Chevenix. Accordingly I
burst at once on the narrative of my adventures. It was the same as you
have read, but briefer, and told with a very different purpose. Now
every incident had a particular bearing, every by-way branched off to
Rome--and that was Flora.

When I had begun to speak I had kneeled upon the gravel wit