accompanied on her travels by Madame
Chambellan for the sake of propriety; but beyond securing Madame
Chambellan's comfort, I do not fancy that Francezka concerned herself
further. This good, insipid, incapable lady was not a person to
uphold any one, and answered Francezka's requirement for a lay figure
perfectly.

I asked after my old friend Bold. Him, she said, she had left behind,
not being minded to take the chances of traveling with him.

"And if Gaston should reach Capello while I am away he will have at
least one faithful heart to greet him," she said.

Madame Riano remained at the chateau, and Francezka spoke with
gratitude of her courage and sympathy, which were never wanting in a
good cause. I returned to camp by nightfall and reported to Count
Saxe. Next day he went with me to pay his respects to Francezka and to
concert with her any plan she might desire for the prosecution of the
search. Francezka received us with her old grace and dignity, and
blushed with pleasure at Count Saxe's tribute to Gaston Cheverny.

"And apart from my affection for Monsieur Cheverny," he said, "I feel
myself peculiarly obliged to use every means to find him. We can not
afford to lose such a man as your husband, Madame Cheverny."

Francezka thanked Count Saxe, and then sitting down at a table, we
discussed pros and cons. The extent of the search which had already
been made for Gaston seemed to frighten Francezka a little, but she
bravely rallied. She said to Count Saxe that her whole fortune should
be spent, if necessary, in this quest for her husband. Then Francezka
told him of a new plan she had--to search all the Austrian prisons. It
was by no means improbable that Gaston Cheverny, wandering about in
his French uniform, and dazed with his wound, might have fallen in
with Austrians, who would send him away with other chance prisoners.
This was so plausible a theory that Count Saxe was much struck with
it, and said to Francezka:

"Madame, you would be a much better general than I, if once you would
put your keen wit to the business."

Francezka smiled with pleasure. No sorrow nor anxiety that ate into
her soul could keep her from relishing a compliment from so great a
man as Count Saxe. My master, however, gently put before her the
discomforts and dangers that might lie before her. Francezka only
looked at him calmly and replied:

"Discomfort and danger are nothing to a woman in comparison with her
best beloved."

Co