de Chatenoeuf in the
bargain, to overlook the preparation of his kit as well as my own, and
to bring them down in a cabriolet, while you and your brother are
rolling smoothly along in the Judge's venerable coach."

"All that is arranged, then," said I, "and I will not detain you above
ten minutes, during which time, I will send Madame Gironac to amuse you,
and you can deliver your own message to her."

And then, without waiting for any answer, I hurried upstairs to make my
travelling toilette, and to put up things for a week's visit to my good
friends.

In the meantime, Madame Gironac, who had always been a great favourite
of Caroline's, had taken my place; and by the merriment which I could
hear going on, I could not doubt that, on the whole, the party had been
a gainer by the exchange.

Before I was quite ready to make my reappearance, there came a smart
double knock at the door; and then, after a minute or two, I could
distinguish a gentleman's footstep ascending the staircase to the
dining-room.

My own room looked towards the back of the house, so that I had no means
of seeing for myself who the new comer was; and I did not choose to ask
any questions of the servant girl, who was bustling in and out of the
door with trunks and travelling-cases innumerable.

So I finished my toilette with a heart that beat, I must confess, a
little faster than usual, though I should certainly have been puzzled to
explain why; put on my hat and shawl, perhaps a little coquettishly, and
went down stairs, half impatient, half embarrassed, yet fully persuaded
in my own mind that I had not the least expectation of seeing anybody in
particular.

I found all the company assembled round the luncheon-table when I
entered, and busily engaged with the _cotelettes a la Maintenon_ and
green peas. Among those present was Monsieur le Comte de Chavannes,
whom I certainly did not expect to see.

He rose immediately from the table as I entered, and advanced a step or
two to meet me, with a graceful inclination, and a few well-chosen
words, to the intent that he had called in order to invite Monsieur de
Chatenoeuf to go out and take a _promenade a cheval_ with him, in order
to see the parks and the beauty of London.

All this was said with the utmost frankness, and in the most unaffected
manner in the world; and assuredly there was nothing either in the
words, or in the manner in which they were uttered, which should have
thrown me into