.

Jacques de Wissant became vaguely uneasy. He reconsidered his plan of
action. If the two sisters were alone together--as he supposed them to
be--he would go in and quietly tell them of the accident. It would be
making altogether too much of the matter to send for Claire to come out
to him; she might very properly resent it. For the matter of that, it
was quite possible that Madeleine Baudoin had some little sentiment for
Dupre. That would explain so much--the officer's constant presence at
the Chalet des Dunes added to his absence from the Pavillon. It was odd
he had never thought of the possibility before.

But this new idea made Jacques grow more and more uneasy at the thought
of the task which now lay before him. With slow, hesitating steps he
walked up to the little front door of the Chalet.

He pulled the rusty bell-handle. How absurd to have ironwork in such a
place!

There followed what seemed to him a very long pause. He rang again.

There came the sound of light, swift steps; he could hear them in spite
of the rhythmical surge of the sea; and then the door was opened by his
sister-in-law, Madame Baudoin, herself.

In the midst of his own agitation and unease, Jacques de Wissant saw
that there was a look of embarrassment on the face which Madeleine tried
to make amiably welcoming.

"Jacques?" she exclaimed. "Forgive me for having made you ring twice! I
have sent the servants into Falaise to purchase a railway time-table.
Claire will doubtless have told you that I am starting for Italy
to-night. Our poor Marie-Anne is worse; and I feel that it is my duty
to go to her."

She did not step aside to allow him to come in. In fact, doubtless
without meaning to do so, she was actually blocking up the door.

No, Claire had not told Jacques that Marie-Anne was worse. That of
course was why she had looked so unhappy this morning. He felt hurt and
angered by his wife's reserve.

"I am sure you will agree, Madeleine," he said stiffly--he was not sorry
to gain a little time--"that it would not be wise for Claire to
accompany you to Italy. After all, she is still quite a young woman, and
poor Marie-Anne's disease is most infectious. I have ascertained, too,
that there is a regular epidemic raging in Mantua."

Madeleine nodded. Then she turned, with an uneasy side-look at her
brother-in-law, and began leading the way down the short passage. The
door of the dining-room was open; Jacques could not help seeing that