e.

CHAPTER XXIII

"You selfish little brute!" was my first address to myself as I realized
my Me-ness, between waking and sleeping, in the morning at Ste. Enemie.
I had never asked Jack where and how he was going to spend the night.
Think of that, after all he had done for me!

It was only just dawn, but already there was a stirring under my window.
Perhaps it was that which had roused me, not the early prick of an
awakening conscience.

The first thing I did to-day was (as it had been yesterday) to bounce up
and climb on to a chair to look out of the high window; but it was a
very different window and a very different scene. I now discovered that
my room gave on the pump court, and to my surprise, I saw that through
the blue silk blinds of the Aigle which were all closely drawn, a light
was streaming. This was very queer indeed, and must mean something
wrong. My imagination pictured a modern highwayman inside, with the
electric lamps turned on to help him rifle the car, and I stood on
tiptoe, peering out of the tiny aperture which was close under the low
ceiling of the box-room. Ought I to scream, and alarm the household,
since I knew not where to go and call the chauffeur?

To be sure, there was very little, if anything, of value, which a thief
could carry away, but an abandoned villain might revenge himself for
disappointment by slashing the tyres, or perhaps even by setting the car
on fire.

At the thought of such a catastrophe, which would bring the trip to an
end and separate me at once from the society of my brother (I'm afraid I
cared much more about losing him than for the Turnours' loss of their
Aigle) I was impelled to run down in my nightgown and _mules_ to do
battle single-handed with the ruffian; but suddenly, before I had quite
decided, out went the light in the blue-curtained glass cage. In another
instant the car door opened, and Jack Dane quietly got out.

In a second I understood. I knew now, without asking, where he had spent
his night. Poor fellow--after such a day!

Someone spoke to him--someone who had been making that disturbing noise
in the woodshed. The household was astir, and I would be astir, too. I
didn't yet know what was to happen to-day, but I wanted to know, and I
was prepared to find any plan good, since, in a country like this, all
roads must lead to Adventures. My one fear was, that if the Turnours
took to a boat, I should have to go with them to play cloak-bearer,