s scoundrel
Legrand have not been paid? How is it your own money has been taken?
Bruslart is not in prison. Where is he? Could anything short of locks
and bars stop your lover from coming to you?"

He spoke in a low, passionate tone, but his face remained calm, and he
made no gesture of anger, of impatience. Watching him, the keenest eyes
could not have detected that he was moved in any way.

"My letter must have shown you the doubts in my mind," Jeanne answered
quietly. "Since you helped me into Paris at so much risk to yourself, I
cannot see that your thoughts could be called unworthy or treacherous."

"For all that, they were. Had you not loved Lucien Bruslart it would
have been different."

"Why?"

"That question must remain unanswered, mademoiselle."

Jeanne turned to him for a moment, but Barrington did not look at her.

"I think I know," she said quietly, after a pause. "Some other day I
shall ask the question again, monsieur--if we live. I wrote my letter to
the one friend I knew I had in Paris; that man is now beside me. I have
no fear, Monsieur Barrington, just because you are here. You are risking
your life for me, not for the first time. If you fail it means my death
as well as yours. I would rather it came that way than any other, and I
am not afraid. Tell me your plans."

For a few moments Barrington was silent. "We will not fail," he said
suddenly. "I want to laugh and cry out for joy but dare not. I have been
in a dream, mademoiselle, while you have been speaking; sitting on a
small green mound looking across the bluest waters in the world. I shall
tell you about that mound and those waters some day. We shall live,
mademoiselle, never doubt that we shall live. My plan is not yet
complete, but--"

"This is Thursday," said Jeanne. "Saturday is very near."

[Illustration: "Never fear, Mademoiselle, we shall live."]

"I know. We go to-morrow night, but the exact details I cannot tell you
yet. There are one or two things I must find out first. I have arranged
everything as far as I can, but we cannot hope for much help from
others. The first thing is to get out of this trap, the rest we must
leave for the present. The Abbe yonder looks as though he envied me your
company, mademoiselle. I think you should go to him. I shall not
attempt to speak to you much more to-day. To-morrow morning we will meet
here again for a final word."

The Abbe was more than ever convinced of his own attractions as Jea