th great dignity, "do you mind telling me where
you obtained this?"

"I found it, Mademoiselle," I answered; and as I spoke I felt Nick's
fingers on my arm.

"You found it? Where? How, Monsieur?"

"At Madame Bouvet's, the house where we stayed."

"Oh," she said with a sigh of relief, "he must have dropped it. It is
there where he meets his associates, where they talk of the French
Louisiane."

Again I felt Nick pinching me, and I gave a sigh of relief. Mademoiselle
was about to continue, but I interrupted her.

"How long will your father be in New Orleans, Mademoiselle?" I asked.

"Until he finds Auguste," she answered. "It may be days, but he will
stay, for he is very angry. But will you not come into the house,
Messieurs, and be presented to my mother?" she asked. "I have been
very--inhospitable," she added with a glance at Nick.

We followed her through winding paths bordered by shrubs and flowers, and
presently came to a low house surrounded by a wide, cool gallery, and
shaded by spreading trees. Behind it were clustered the kitchens and
quarters of the house servants. Mademoiselle, picking up her dress, ran
up the steps ahead of us and turned to the left in the hall into a
darkened parlor. The floor was bare, save for a few mats, and in the
corner was a massive escritoire of mahogany with carved feet, and there
were tables and chairs of a like pattern. It was a room of more
distinction than I had seen since I had been in Charlestown, and
reflected the solidity of its owners.

"If you will be so kind as to wait here, Messieurs," said Mademoiselle,
"I will call my mother."

And she left us.

I sat down, rather uncomfortably, but Nick took a stand and stood staring
down at me with folded arms.

"How I have undervalued you, Davy," he said.

"I am not proud of it," I answered shortly.

"What the deuce is to do now!" he asked.

"I cannot linger here," I answered; "I have business with Monsieur de
Saint-Gre, and I must go back to New Orleans at once."

"Then I will wait for you," said Nick. "Davy, I have met my fate."

I laughed in spite of myself.

"It seems to me that I have heard that remark before," I answered.

He had not time to protest, for we heard footsteps in the hall, and
Mademoiselle entered, leading an older lady by the hand. In the light of
the doorway I saw that she was thin and small and yellow, but her
features had a regularity and her mien a dignity which made her
impressing, whi