ed, now that I thought of it! I had jumped to conclusions with the
agility of a kangaroo. He had kissed her; she had allowed it. Did that
prove that he was her fiance? He might have been anything--her cousin
or an old friend of her childhood, or her sister's husband's nephew. But
brother-in-law was best of all, not too remote or yet too close. In that
relationship, I decided, he was ideal.

By this time I was wondering how long we were to stand here exchanging
ideas and persiflage, an animated group of five. The duke and duchess
were charming, but I had had enough of them; I could have spared
even good old Dunny; what I wanted, and wanted frantically, was a
tete-a-tete; just Esme Falconer and myself. When I saw two automobiles,
packed imposingly with uniformed figures, speed up the drive to the
chateau, hope stirred in me. With suppressed joy,--I trust it was
suppressed,--I heard the duke exclaim that this was General Le Cazeau,
due to visit the hospital with his staff and greet the wounded and
bestow on certain lucky beings the reward of their valor in the shape of
medals of war. Obviously, it would have been inexcusable for the master
and mistress of Raincy-la-Tour to ignore a visitor so distinguished. I
made no protest whatever as they turned to go.

"But, Miss Falconer," I implored fervently, "you won't desert me, will
you? Pity a poor _blesse_ that no general cares two straws to see!"

She smiled, an omen that encouraged me to send Dunny a look of meaning;
but my guardian, bless him, had grasped the situation; he was already
gone.

Down by the water among the trees there was a marble bench, and with
one accord we turned our steps that way. I emphasized my game leg
shamelessly; I positively flourished my crutches. My battle scars, I
guessed from the girl's kind eyes, appealed to her compassion, and as
soon as I suspected this I thanked my stars for that German shell.

"Isn't there anything," she said as we sat down, "that you want to ask
me? I think I should be curious if I were you. After all we have done
together there isn't much beyond my name that you know of me, and you
knew that in Jersey City the night the _Re d'Italia_ sailed."

I shook my head.

"There is just one thing I wanted to know," I answered cryptically, "and
I learned that when your brother-in-law presented me to his wife. Still,
there is nothing on earth you can tell me that I shan't be glad to
listen to. Say the multiplication table if you