Josephine? Into the house this moment; if it IS he, I will
receive him and send him about his business."

But Josephine stood fascinated, and pale as ashes; for now the cocked
hat stopped, and a pale face with eyes whose eager fire shone even at
that distance, rose above the palings. Josephine crouched behind Rose,
and gasped out, "Something terrible is coming, terrible! terrible!"

"Say something hateful," said Rose, trembling in her turn, but only with
anger. "The heartless selfish traitor! He never notices you till you are
married to the noblest of mankind; and then he comes here directly to
ruin your peace. No; I have altered my mind. He shall not see you, of
course; but YOU shall hear HIM. I'll soon make you know the wretch and
loathe him as I do. There, now he has turned the corner; hide in the
oak while he is out of sight. Hide, quick, quick." Josephine obeyed
mechanically; and presently, through that very aperture whence her
sister had smiled on her lover she hissed out, in a tone of which one
would not have thought her capable, "Be wise, be shrewd; find out who is
the woman that has seduced him from me, and has brought two wretches to
this. I tell you it is some wicked woman's doing. He loved me once."

"Not so loud!--one word: you are a wife. Swear to me you will not let
him see you, come what may."

"Oh! never! never!" cried Josephine with terror. "I would rather die.
When you have heard what he has to say, then tell him I am dead. No,
tell him I adore my husband, and went to Egypt this day with him. Ah!
would to God I had!"

"Sh! sh!"

"Sh!"

Camille was at the little gate.

Rose stood still, and nerved herself in silence. Josephine panted in her
hiding-place.

Rose's only thought now was to expose the traitor to her sister, and
restore her peace. She pretended not to see Camille till he was near
her. He came eagerly towards her, his pale face flushing with great joy,
and his eyes like diamonds.

"Josephine! It is not Josephine, after all," said he. "Why, this must be
Rose, little Rose, grown up to a fine lady, a beautiful lady."

"What do you come here for, sir?" asked Rose in a tone of icy
indifference.

"What do I come here for? is that the way to speak to me? but I am too
happy to mind. Dear Beaurepaire! do I see you once again!"

"And madame?"

"What madame?"

"Madame Dujardin that is or was to be."

"This is the first I have ever heard of her," said Camille, gayly.

"This is odd