does Mademoiselle Julie Lannes say?"

The rising sun clothed Julie in a shower of gold. Never before had the
wonderful golden hair seemed more wonderful. Never before had she seemed
to the youthful eyes of her lover more nearly divine.

"Julie Lannes says," she replied bravely, "that if John Scott wishes her
to be his wife and her mother and brother consent she will gladly marry
him."

[Illustration: "Now the aeroplanes flew at almost incredible speed, the
_Arrow_ always at their head"]

"Then we must hurry away, or it will be a wedding; without either a
bride or a bridegroom. Are not those Austrian hussars at the bottom of
the slope, Picard?"

"Yes, monsieur."

"Then it's up and away with us. Here are Caumartin, Mery and Castelneau,
old friends of yours, John, but it was Delaunois who brought me the last
news of you. Caumartin has the _Omnibus_, and in it the bridal pair must
travel. I can't take you with me in the _Arrow_ now, John, as it admits
of only a single passenger. But do you, Picard, take the rifles and come
with me. We'll cover the rear of our flight. Now, hasten! Hasten!"

John and Julie in an instant were side by side in the _Omnibus_, Picard,
forgetting all fear of aeroplanes, was with Philip, and the four
machines rose, circling above the mountain, Caumartin's big plane
leading. John and Julie sat very close together and her hand was again
in his.

"Fear not, dearest," he said. "When all seemed lost Philip came for us."

"But you came for me first and you risked your life many times. To give
myself to you seems but a small reward for all that you've done."

"It's a reward that kings and princes in their power cannot win."

Then they fell silent, their emotion too deep for speech. Philip had
spoken in jest, but it was almost like a wedding trip. The hussars below
had reached the abandoned automobile, and fired vain shots at the
disappearing aeroplanes, but John and Julie heeded them not. War and
brute passions were left behind, and they were sailing through the calm
blue ether.

Caumartin, the stalwart, was wholly absorbed in steering his great
machine and they sat behind him, very close together, still hand in
hand, watching the great panorama of the heavens, unrolled before them.
It was the most beautiful sky that they had ever seen, dyed that day
into intensely vivid colors by the master hand. Far away were great pink
terraces of color, changing to blue or gold or silver, while below them