be relieved of an odious part; for you are too handsome not to have in
keeping some other heart besides your own."

He then began gaily to describe some of his humorous adventures, and
continued in this vein till they arrived once more at the chateau.
Sometimes the countess laughed, but he could see that her sprightliness
was gone. When they came under the porte cochere he sprang from his
horse and assisted her to dismount; and he did not relinquish her hand
till he had given it a friendly pressure. She stood motionless on the
steps, centered a look on him which he failed to interpret, then ran
swiftly into the hall, thence to her room, the door of which she bolted.

"It would not be difficult," he mused, communing with the thought which
had come to him. "It would be something real, and not a chimera."

He turned over the horses to the grooms, and went in search of
Fitzgerald to inform him of his discovery; but the Englishman was
nowhere to be found. Neither was Madame. Being thirsty, he proceeded to
the dining hall. Fadette, the maid, was laying the silver.

"Ah, the `pantry maid,'" he thought. "Good day, Fadette."

"Does Monsieur wish for something?"

"A glass of water. Thanks!"

She retreated and kept her eyes lowered.

"Fadette, you are charming. Has any one ever told you that?"

"O, Monsieur!" blushing.

"Have they?" lessening the distance between them.

"Sometimes," faintly. She could not withstand his glance, so she retired
a few more steps, only to find herself up with the wall.

With a laugh he sprang forward and caught her face between his hands and
imprinted a kiss on her left cheek. Suddenly she wrenched herself loose,
uttered a frightened cry and fled down the pantryway.

"What's the matter with the girl?" he muttered aloud. "I wanted to ask
her some questions."

"Ask them of me, Monsieur," said a voice from the doorway.

Maurice wheeled. It was Madame, but her face expressed nothing. He saw
that he had been caught. The humor of the situation got the better of
him, and he laughed. Madame ignored this unseemly hilarity.

"Monsieur, is this the way you return my kindness?"

"Permit me to apologize. As to your kindness, I have just discovered
that it is of a most dangerous quality."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I could not kiss Madame the countess with the same sense of
security as I could the--pantry maid," bowing.

Just now Madame's face expressed a good deal. "Of what are you ta