d, mam'zelle, thank God!" he said.

"Yes," I answered, "I am well again now. I have not been really ill, I
know, but I felt weary and sick at heart. My good Tardif, how much I owe
you!"

"You owe me, nothing, mam'zelle," he said, dropping my hand, and
carrying the cure's high-backed chair to the open window, for me to sit
in it, and have all the freshness there was in the air. "Dear
mam'zelle," he added, "if you only think of me as your friend, that is
enough."

"You are my truest friend," I replied.

"No, no. You have another as true," he answered, "and you have this good
Monsieur le Cure into the bargain. If the cures were all like him I
should be thinking of becoming a good Catholic myself, and you know how
far I am from being that."

"No one can say a word too much in his praise," I said.

"Except," continued Tardif, "that he desires to keep our little mam'zelle
in his village. 'Why must she leave me?' he says; 'never do I say a word
contrary to her religion, or that of the _mignonne_. Let them stay in
Ville-en-bois.' But Dr. Martin, says: 'No, she must not remain here. The
air is not good for her; the village is not drained, and it is
unhealthy. There will always be fever here.' Dr. Martin was almost angry
with Monsieur le Cure."

"Dr. Martin?" I said, in a tone of wonder and inquiry.

"Dr. Martin, mam'zelle. I sent a message to him by telegraph. It was
altered somehow in the offices, and he did not know who was dead. He
started off at once, travelled without stopping, and reached this place
two nights ago."

"Is he here now?" I asked, while a troubled feeling stirred the
tranquillity which had but just returned to me. I shrank from seeing him
just then.

"No, mam'zelle. He went away this morning, as soon as he was sure you
would recover without his help. He said that to see him might do you
more harm, trouble you more, than he could do you good by his medicines.
He and Monsieur le Cure parted good friends, though they were not of the
same mind about you. 'Let her stay here,' says Monsieur le Cure. 'She
must return to England,' says Dr. Martin. 'Mam'zelle must be free to
choose for herself,' I said. They both smiled, and said yes, I was
right. You must be free."

"Why did no one tell me he was here? Why did Minima keep it a secret?" I
asked.

"He forbade us to tell you. He did not wish to disquiet you. He said to
me: 'If she ever wishes to see me, I would come gladly from London to
Ville-en-bois',