hought of that."

"I wonder what you mean, Cousin Andre."

"Well you may," laughed Philippe. "For no one ever knows." And then,
his glance straying across the terrace settled upon a carriage that was
drawn up before the door of the chateau. It was a vehicle such as was
often to be seen in the streets of a great city, but rarely in the
country. It was a beautifully sprung two-horse cabriolet of walnut,
with a varnish upon it like a sheet of glass and little pastoral scenes
exquisitely painted on the panels of the door. It was built to carry two
persons, with a box in front for the coachman, and a stand behind for
the footman. This stand was empty, but the footman paced before the
door, and as he emerged now from behind the vehicle into the range of M.
de Vilmorin's vision, he displayed the resplendent blue-and-gold livery
of the Marquis de La Tour d'Azyr.

"Why!" he exclaimed. "Is it M. de La Tour d'Azyr who is with your
uncle?"

"It is, monsieur," said she, a world of mystery in voice and eyes, of
which M. de Vilmorin observed nothing.

"Ah, pardon!" he bowed low, hat in hand. "Serviteur, mademoiselle," and
he turned to depart towards the house.

"Shall I come with you, Philippe?" Andre-Louis called after him.

"It would be ungallant to assume that you would prefer it," said M. de
Vilmorin, with a glance at mademoiselle. "Nor do I think it would serve.
If you will wait..."

M. de Vilmorin strode off. Mademoiselle, after a moment's blank pause,
laughed ripplingly. "Now where is he going in such a hurry?"

"To see M. de La Tour d'Azyr as well as your uncle, I should say."

"But he cannot. They cannot see him. Did I not say that they are
very closely engaged? You don't ask me why, Andre." There was an arch
mysteriousness about her, a latent something that may have been elation
or amusement, or perhaps both. Andre-Louis could not determine it.

"Since obviously you are all eagerness to tell, why should I ask?" quoth
he.

"If you are caustic I shall not tell you even if you ask. Oh, yes, I
will. It will teach you to treat me with the respect that is my due."

"I hope I shall never fail in that."

"Less than ever when you learn that I am very closely concerned in the
visit of M. de La Tour d'Azyr. I am the object of this visit." And she
looked at him with sparkling eyes and lips parted in laughter.

"The rest, you would seem to imply, is obvious. But I am a dolt, if you
please; for it is not obvious to me."