heard. It was a strange place to
lodge you in. Tell me everything."

"Tell me first why you sent for me," she answered. "It is not so very
long since I left Paris; yet, in some way, you have grown unfamiliar."

"It is this perhaps," and he laughed as he touched the tri-color which
he wore. "You are unfamiliar too. We are both masquerading."

He told her the history of his imprisonment and of his release; he
laughed as he explained that his safety lay in appearing to be a good
patriot, and grew serious as he told her with lowered voice that, under
this deceit, he was working night and day for the King, the imprisoned
nobility, and for the emigres.

"I was in danger, Jeanne, grave danger, but I did not send for you. Do
you imagine I would have brought you into peril on any pretext?"

"You promised to send for me if you were in danger. It was a compact."

"One that any man would feel himself justified in breaking. Rouzet,
poor fellow, acted without my knowledge. He was from the first very
fearful for my safety, and to ease his mind I showed him the trinket and
told him of our compact. Directly I was arrested and taken to the
Conciergerie he must have planned to come to Beauvais."

"But how did the trinket come into his possession? I thought you always
wore it."

"I did, but in such a hurry were they to arrest me that they came while
I was yet in bed. I had to dress with two men watching me, and I left
the gold star in a drawer."

"And Rouzet found it?"

"How else could he have started to ride to Beauvais with it?" said
Lucien. "Truly, Jeanne, you seem as hard to convince as if you were
really a market woman suspecting every purchaser of trying to get the
better of her in a bargain."

"Forgive me, but I have come through such a maze of deceit that full
belief is difficult," she answered. "Have you no friend named Mercier?"

"Half the ragged fellows passing in the street might claim friendship
with me, so well do I play the part of patriot; but I am not conscious
of having a friend of that name."

"There is such a man, and his knowledge of you is intimate. He brought
me the gold star."

"Tell me the whole story, Jeanne. I may find a clew in it."

He listened to the tale, asking no questions. There was excitement in
his face as she recounted her adventure at the Lion d'Or and her rescue
by Barrington. It was simply told, yet dramatically, and Lucien's face
flushed and paled. This beautiful woman had passed t