iddle Ages, when she could have dressed in long, brocaded stuffs and
led armies or killed a king. You can see," she said, drawing her wraps
about her, "I am not quite sane on the subject of this Irish child, and
go before I become a regular bore. Good-bye, Mrs. Lennox; good-bye, Mr.
Ravenel. I am so glad to have you both for Friday night."

She rose, and as she did so Frank came forward to assist her with her
wraps. At sight of him, in the full light of the doorway, she drew back
for an instant, clutched at a curtain, gave another quick look, and
fell, with a white face, unconscious into Anne's supporting arms.

It was not long, however, before she recovered enough to be helped to
her carriage; but this fainting was followed by a protracted illness,
the Friday dinner was postponed indefinitely, and Katrine summoned
hurriedly home from Fontainebleau.

Naturally, Anne Lennox called and brought Frank with her to make
inquiries and to leave regrets. It was in this visit, as Frank stood
well in the sunshine admiring the old house, that Quantrelle, peering
from his box, saw him, and with an oath fell back into the shadow as
though hiding from an enemy. Peering from a crack in the door, he waited
Frank's departure, and after the carriage had driven away, seized a hat
and ran at a mad pace down the narrow street, upsetting children and
dogs as he ran.

* * * * *

Josef protested impatiently that it was a badly chosen time for the
Countess to be ill, speaking as though Madame de Nemours had personally
selected it with criminal thoughtlessness of Katrine, whose debut was
close at hand; for despite his protests, the girl took the position of
nurse, sitting up till all hours of the night, and neglecting her
lessons if the Countess needed or desired her services.

The great lady herself, after the danger seemed passed, lay in silence
day by day, neither questioning nor explaining. To Katrine, however,
explanations were unnecessary, for she understood that to Madame de
Nemours the sight of Frank had brought back, with terrible distinctness
that other Ravenel who had been summoned to his accounting years before.
Just how much Madame de Nemours knew of Frank's attitude to Katrine at
this time was never made clear, but she clung to her adopted child with
love and a new comprehension.

But no word passed between them at the time on the subject of either
Ravenel, nor did these two great ladies again s