bit, or some other wild animal that loves the
night-time and the silence, darted right across their path, making her
start and scream. The shock past, she laughed a little with shame of her
own weakness. The scream and the laugh broke the spell.

"It was very silly of me, but it came so suddenly," she explained
apologetically.

"It did, m'amzelle. I expect you are not used to such places at night?"

"No, not at night. We love the moor, though, by day, and know it well,
and I am not really afraid of the wild things."

"No, m'amzelle," politely. Silence followed again. Esther grew
desperate.

"I--I hope your wife will soon be better," she said sympathetically.

"Thank you, m'amzelle. I hope so, too."

"Is she very ill?"

"Well, not--not dangerous, but she troubles. Our M'amzelle Lucille is not
strong, she suffers so, and when Laura--my wife--is ill, M'amzelle does
too much, she is so good."

"Can't you have some one in to help you?" asked practical Esther.

"No, m'amzelle, we are so far away. But we do not want any one really.
I can do all. I know how to nurse," with evident pride, "but M'amzelle
likes to help us, and--and she is not strong, she suffers so."

"Does she?" asked Esther sympathetically. "I am so sorry. I noticed she
was lame. Does she suffer pain from her lameness?"

"Yes, m'amzelle. She had a fall some years ago. You know, I daresay,
that M'amzelle Lucille was at one time a famous singer. No? She has not
told you? Then perhaps I should not have, but I thought that when she
told you her name you would know."

"I can keep a secret," said Esther. "I will never mention it if I may
not. Why did M'amzelle stop singing and come here?"

"Ah, she stopped singing long, long before she came here. She never sang
after the great trouble came to her life, when the great English gentleman
she was so soon to marry was killed."

Esther gave a little cry of horror. "Oh, how dreadful, but--but how--was
it an accident?"

Anne's tongue was loosened now, he needed no questioning; he had so few
opportunities to talk, he could not resist this one, and he wanted every
one's sympathy for his beloved mistress. "Yes, it was an accident,
a fearful, a cruel accident, and it happened less than a week before the
wedding day. They were together at a station waiting for a train, when
some one ran against him with so great force he reeled, he lost his
balance, he fell forward, right off the platform-