rl. "This visit at such an early hour must seem
to you an intrusion. But I am Marguerite St. Just, and--"

Her smile and outstretched hand completed the sentence.

"St. Just!" exclaimed Jeanne.

"Yes. Armand's sister!"

A swift blush rushed to the girl's pale cheeks; her brown eyes expressed
unadulterated joy. Marguerite, who was studying her closely, was
conscious that her poor aching heart went out to this exquisite child,
the far-off innocent cause of so much misery.

Jeanne, a little shy, a little confused and nervous in her movements,
was pulling a chair close to the fire, begging Marguerite to sit. Her
words came out all the while in short jerky sentences, and from time to
time she stole swift shy glances at Armand's sister.

"You will forgive me, mademoiselle," said Marguerite, whose simple and
calm manner quickly tended to soothe Jeanne Lange's confusion; "but I
was so anxious about my brother--I do not know where to find him."

"And so you came to me, madame?"

"Was I wrong?"

"Oh, no! But what made you think that--that I would know?"

"I guessed," said Marguerite with a smile. "You had heard about me
then?"

"Oh, yes!"

"Through whom? Did Armand tell you about me?"

"No, alas! I have not seen him this past fortnight, since you,
mademoiselle, came into his life; but many of Armand's friends are in
Paris just now; one of them knew, and he told me."

The soft blush had now overspread the whole of the girl's face, even
down to her graceful neck. She waited to see Marguerite comfortably
installed in an armchair, then she resumed shyly:

"And it was Armand who told me all about you. He loves you so dearly."

"Armand and I were very young children when we lost our parents," said
Marguerite softly, "and we were all in all to each other then. And until
I married he was the man I loved best in all the world."

"He told me you were married--to an Englishman."

"Yes?"

"He loves England too. At first he always talked of my going there with
him as his wife, and of the happiness we should find there together."

"Why do you say 'at first'?"

"He talks less about England now."

"Perhaps he feels that now you know all about it, and that you
understand each other with regard to the future."

"Perhaps."

Jeanne sat opposite to Marguerite on a low stool by the fire. Her elbows
were resting on her knees, and her face just now was half-hidden by the
wealth of her brown curls. She looked exquisitely pr