"Tell me, do you love the baroness?" she inquired as she whipped a
swaying bush of brier.

The question amazed me. I laughed nervously.

"I respect, I admire the good woman--she would make an excellent
mother," was my answer.

"Well spoken!" she said, clapping her hands. "I thought you were a
fool. I did not know whether you were to blame or--or the Creator."

"Or the baroness," I added, laughing.

"Well," said she, with a pretty shrug, "is there not a man for
every woman? The baroness she thinks she is irresistible. She has
money. She would like to buy you for a plaything--to marry you.
But I say beware. She is more terrible than the keeper of the
Bastile. And you--you are too young!"

"My dear girl," said I, in a voice of pleading, "it is terrible.
Save me! Save me, I pray you!"

"Pooh! I do not care!"--with a gesture of indifference, "I am
trying to save myself, that is all."

"From what?"

"Another relative. Parbleu! I have enough." She stamped her foot
impatiently as she spoke. "I should be very terrible to you. I
should say the meanest things. I should call you grandpapa and
give you a new cane every Christmas."

"And if you gave me also a smile, I should be content."

More than once I was near declaring myself that day, but I had a
mighty fear she was playing with me, and held my tongue. There was
an odd light in her eyes. I knew not, then, what it meant.

"You are easily satisfied," was her answer.

"I am to leave soon," I said. "May I not see you here to-morrow?"

"Alas! I do not think you can," was her answer.

"And why not?"

"Because it would not be proper," said she, smiling as she looked
up at me.

"Not proper! I should like to know why."

"It would make me break another engagement," she went on, laughing.
"I am to go with the baroness to meet the count if he comes--she
has commanded. The day after, in the morning, at ten o'clock, by
the cascade--will that do? Good! I must leave you now. I must
not return with you. Remember!" she commanded, pointing at me with
her tapered forefinger. "Remember--ten o'clock in the morning."

Then she took a bypath and went out of sight. I returned to the
mansion as deep in love as a man could be. I went to dinner with
the rest that evening. Louison came in after we were all seated.

"You are late, my dear," said the baroness.

"Yes; I went away walking and lost something, and was not able to
find it again."