g-rooms, as one
cultivating a Spartan habit of life.

"It is probable," he said bluntly, "that you are being watched."

"Yes--I know the bailiffs keep their eye on me."

"I suppose you are not going away to shoot or anything like that?"

"I can go to France and look after Madame de Clericy's property,"
answered I, and the prospect of a change of scene was not unpleasant
to me. For, to tell the truth, I was ill at ease at this time, and
while in England fell victim to a weak and unmanly longing to be at
Hopton. For, however strong a man's will may be, it seems that one
woman in his path must have the power to inspire him with such a
longing that he cannot free his mind of thoughts of her, nor
interest himself in any other part of the world but that which she
inhabits. Thus, to a grey-haired man who surely might have been wiser,
it was actual misery to be in England and not at Hopton, where
Alphonse Giraud was no doubt happy enough in the neighbourhood of the
woman we both loved.

[Illustration: "IT IS PROBABLE," HE SAID BLUNTLY, "THAT YOU ARE BEING
WATCHED."]

"Yes," said Sander to me, after long thought. "Do that. I shall get on
better if you are out of England."

The man's air, as I have said, inspired confidence; and I, seeking an
excuse to be moving, determined to obey him without delay. Moreover, I
was beginning to realise more and more the difficulties of my task,
and the remembrance of what had passed at Hopton made failure
singularly distasteful.

The Vicomtesse had property in the Morbihan, to which I could
penetrate without great risk of arrest. We had heard nothing from the
agent in charge of this estate since the outbreak of war, and it
seemed probable that the man had volunteered for active service in one
of the Breton regiments, raised in all haste at this time.

Writing a note to Madame, I left England the next day, intending to be
absent a week or ten days. My journey was uneventful, and needs not to
be detailed here.

During the writer's absence in stricken France, Miss Isabella
Gayerson, who seemed as restless as himself, suddenly bethought
herself to open her London house and fill it with guests. It must be
remembered that this lady was an heiress, and, if report be true, more
than one needy nobleman offered her a title and that which he called
his heart, only to meet with a cold refusal. I who know her so well
can fancy that these disinterested gentlemen hesitated to repeat the
experimen