er mentioned the place; nor the fact that it was for
sale.

Such are all our agents, when rival speculators. Mind that. Still it
is a terrible thing to be so completely in the power of any man of the
world, as from this hour Beaurepaire was in the power of Perrin the
notary.

CHAPTER IV.

Edouard Riviere was unhappy. She never came out now. This alone made the
days dark to him. And then he began to fear it was him she shunned. She
must have seen him lie in wait for her; and so she would come out no
more. He prowled about and contrived to fall in with Jacintha; he told
her his grief. She assured him the simple fact was their mourning was
worn out, and they were ashamed to go abroad in colors. This revelation
made his heart yearn still more.

"O Jacintha," said he, "if I could only make a beginning; but here we
might live a century in the same parish, and not one chance for a poor
wretch to make acquaintance."

Jacintha admitted this, and said gentlefolks were to be pitied. "Why, if
it was the likes of me, you and I should have made friends long before
now."

Jacintha herself was puzzled what to do; she would have told Rose if she
had felt sure it would be well received; but she could not find out that
the young lady had even noticed the existence of Edouard. But her brain
worked, and lay in wait for an opportunity.

One came sooner than she expected. One morning at about six o'clock, as
she came home from milking the cow, she caught sight of young Riviere
trying to open the iron gate. "What is up now?" thought she; suddenly
the truth flashed upon her, clear as day. She put her pail down and
stole upon him. "You want to leave us another purse," said she. He
colored all over and panted.

"How did you know? how could you know? you won't betray me? you won't be
so cruel? you promised."

"Me betray you," said Jacintha; "why, I'll help you; and then they will
be able to buy mourning, you know, and then they will come out, and give
you a chance. You can't open that gate, for it's locked. But you come
round to the lane, and I'll get you the key; it is hanging up in the
kitchen."

The key was in her pocket. But the sly jade wanted him away from that
gate; it commanded a view of the Pleasaunce. He was no sooner safe in
the lane, than she tore up-stairs to her young ladies, and asked them
with affected calm whether they would like to know who left the purse.

"Oh, yes, yes!" screamed Rose.

"Then come with