but none of them
dared to speak before her face. It was, however, mortifying for her
self-love to know that they dared speak behind her back. Francezka
was, in some respects, a spoiled child of fortune. She did not for one
moment relax her efforts to find Gaston Cheverny, although she no
longer attempted it personally. A number of trained men were employed
by her to keep the matter alive, the rewards before the public, and to
follow up every possible clue.

And then she went upon her way, unchanged and unchanging in some
respects. She again took up her reading and studying; the Brabant
ladies were much scandalized at the amount of money which Madame
Cheverny spent on books. She again had her music and singing masters
to attend her. She did all these things diligently, though she had
lost much of the enjoyment they once gave her. Such hope as she had
left was enough to make her unmurmuring in her present life, but not
enough to make her happy. And so the year of 1735 passed.

CHAPTER XXIV

CONFIDENT TO-MORROWS

It does not matter how that time went with me, Babache. I was with my
master, Count Saxe, whose glory increased with time. Every day and
hour Francezka was in my mind, and so far as I could I kept up the
search for Gaston Cheverny. I never met a man from the Rhine country,
nor one who had taken part in any of the campaigns of 1733-34, of whom
I did not make inquiry concerning Gaston Cheverny.

One thing was strange and tantalizing: while it was impossible to
prove that he was alive, it was equally impossible to prove that he
was dead. Nor was this an unknown man who had vanished, but an officer
of distinction, for whom the search had begun within six hours of his
disappearance, which was taken part in by Count Saxe and the armies of
France and Austria, and carried on steadily by a woman of the wit, the
wealth and the resource of Francezka Capello. I have known of strange
vanishings in war, but never have I known one in the least like Gaston
Cheverny's. Regnard Cheverny seemed to have vanished, too, but his
disappearance was entirely voluntary.

The only communication which was received from him was to his agent.
As soon as peace was assured this agent received orders from Regnard
Cheverny to sell Castle Haret, which he presently did, for a good
round sum. It was known soon after that Regnard had resigned from the
Austrian army and had accepted a high command in the East India
Company's army in Bri