The good landlady of the Hotel de France was not a little surprised
next morning when Wilhelm came down to the kitchen and informed her
that he must leave that forenoon. And when very soon afterward Anne
appeared, and announced in her stiffest, most impenetrable manner that
Madame la Comtesse desired two places, for herself and her maid, in the
hotel omnibus which went to the station at Eu, the landlady remarked,
"Indeed!" and there was a liberal interchange of meaning glances in the
kitchen.

At no price would Wilhelm remain at Ault. The countess, who liked the
place well enough, begged, entreated, and pouted in vain. He was not to
be persuaded. He protested that he knew himself too well to think that
he would be capable of keeping up the appearance of reserve toward her
which decency demanded. And he need not, she declared; she considered
herself free to do as she pleased, and so was he; their love did not
interfere with their duty toward anybody, and so it was immaterial if
people found it out and talked about it.

Her utter disregard for the trammels of convention, her cool contempt
for the opinion of others, filled him with horror.

"No, no, I could not look one of them in the face again."

"But do you suppose that these people are any better? You surely don't
imagine that the man with the calves and his ravening wolf are married?"

"How can you say such things!"

"Why, you big baby, one can see that at a glance. He is far too nice to
her for her to be his legitime."

"That may be. At all events he has had so much consideration for
outward appearance as to pass the person off as his wife. But we made
our acquaintance here, under their very eye."

"Wilhelm!"--from her lips the name sounded more like Gwillem--"I should
not know you for the same person. Why, where is your boasted philosophy
and stoicism to which you were going to convert me? Is that your
indifference to the world and its hypocritical ways, its prejudices and
its sneers?"

She was quite right. He was untrue to his principles, but he could not
do otherwise. He had had the courage to decline the duel with Herr von
Pechlar, but he had not the boldness to let the foolish gossips of the
table d'hote be witnesses of his new love-making. Why? For the very
simple reason that, in his heart of hearts, he disapproved of his
liaison with Pilar.

As he would not give in, the countess resigned herself to what she
called his "schoolgirl crotchet," and