and sighs. Thou must stay here, my daughter, with
me, and these poor, simple people who love thee. I will not let thee go
into temptation. Courage; thou wilt be happy among us, when thou hast
conquered this evil. As for the rest, I must think about it. Let us go
in now. The lamp has been lit and supper served this half-hour. There is
my sister looking out at us. Come, madame. You are in my charge, and I
will take care of you."

A few days after this, the whole community was thrown into a tumult by
the news that their cure was about to undertake the perils of a voyage
to England, and would be absent a whole fortnight. He said it was to
obtain some information as to the English system of drainage in
agricultural districts, which might make their own valley more healthy
and less liable to fever. But it struck me that he was about to make
some inquiries concerning my husband, and perhaps about Minima, whose
desolate position had touched him deeply. I ventured to tell him what
danger might arise to me if any clew to my hiding-place fell into
Richard Foster's hands.

"My poor child," he said, "why art thou so fearful? There is not a man
here who would not protect thee. He would be obliged to prove his
identity, and thine, before he could establish his first right to claim
thee. Then we would enter a _proces_. Be content. I am going to consult
some lawyers of my own country and thine."

He bade us farewell, with as many directions and injunctions as a father
might leave to a large family of sons and daughters. Half the village
followed his _char-a-banc_ as far as the cross where he had found Minima
and me, six miles on his road to Noireau. His sister and I, who had
ridden with him so far, left him there, and walked home up the steep,
long road, in the midst of that enthusiastic crowd of his parishioners.

CHAPTER THE SEVENTEENTH.

A MOMENT OF TRIUMPH.

The afternoon of that day was unusually sultry and oppressive. The blue
of the sky was almost livid. I was weary with the long walk in the
morning, and after our mid-day meal I stole away from mademoiselle and
Minima in the _salon_, and betook myself to the cool shelter of the
church, where the stone walls three feet thick, and the narrow casements
covered with vine-leaves, kept out the heat more effectually than the
half-timber walls of the presbytery. A _vicaire_ from a neighboring
parish was to arrive in time for vespers, and Jean and Pierre were
polishing up t