a Kirkpatrick was in trouble, which brought her home;
but Francezka thought that Madame Riano had by that time grown a
little tired of her sojourn in the land of Goshen, as she represented
Scotland to be. At all events, her coming was of extraordinary good
fortune to Francezka; for having countenanced the marriage, and
advised secrecy, Madame Riano could do no less than sustain
Francezka.

"I made the announcement myself," said Francezka, "standing at the top
of the Diana gallery, with the Bishop of Louvain on one side of me, my
aunt on the other, and Father Benart, with Madame Chambellan, behind
me, and before fifty persons of the highest quality I could gather
together. I dressed myself splendidly for the occasion and wore all my
jewels, and I don't think, Babache, that there was any note of apology
in my voice for having married Gaston Cheverny. I told of his gallant
ruse to save Count Saxe, of his being carried off, and being lost
sight of, and of my determination to go in search of him. I felt,
rather than saw, in the beginning, that many of those present were
hostile to me, and did not cordially approve my course, but before I
finished speaking there was a subtile change, a warming toward me.
When I had concluded, the Sieur de Montigny, eighty years old, arose
and expressed for the company heartfelt wishes that I might find my
husband, and that we might live long in joy and peace together."

Yes, it was easily understood how courage and devotion in the person
of Francezka, with her eloquent voice and eyes to plead for her, had
won her the victory over these people.

"The ordeal had begun for me most painfully, but it ended most
hopefully. Surely if all those people believed that Gaston would be
found, it was not for me, his wife, to give way to despair. Just as at
the hour of our marriage, a storm had come up, followed by a clear and
beautiful evening, so, on the morning of the day of which I have been
telling you, rain fell, and a cold northeast wind made the June day as
dreary as November. But while I was speaking I caught the gleam of the
sun upon the canal, under the windows, and suddenly the day became
inexpressibly beautiful; so I think, Babache, that my day and Gaston's
will yet be sunshiny."

With this Francezka's face grew almost gay, but it was a lightning
flash; it was not the steady and cheerful hope I had seen in her eyes
when she told me first of her marriage.

She further told me that she was