and her father.

"My faith, little one," said Bellecour good-humouredly. "I wonder what
magic you have exercised to rid us of that infernal company."

"Women have sometimes a power of which men know nothing," was her
cryptic answer.

Ombreval turned to her with a scowl of sudden suspicion.

"I trust, Mademoiselle, that you did not--" he stopped short. His
thoughts were of a quality that defied polite utterance.

"That I did not what, Monsieur?" she asked.

"I trust you remembered that you are to become the Vicomtesse
d'Ombreval" he answered, constructing his sentence differently.

"Monsieur!" exclaimed Bellecour angrily.

"I was chiefly mindful of the fact that I had my brother's life to
save," said the girl, very coldly, her eye resting upon her betrothed in
a glance of so much contempt that it forced him into an abashed silence.

In her mind she was contrasting this supercilious, vacillating weakling
with the stern, strong man who lode yonder. A sigh fluttered across her
lips. Had things but been different. Had Ombreval been the Revolutionist
and La Boulaye the Vicomte, how much better pleased might she not have
been. But since it was not so, why sigh? It was not as if she had loved
this La Boulaye. How was that possible? Was he not of the canaille,
basely born, and a Revolutionist--the enemy of her order--in addition?
It were a madness to even dream of the possibility of such a thing, for
Suzanne de Bellecour came of too proud a stock, and knew too well the
respect that was due to it.

CHAPTER VIII. THE INVALIDS AT BOISVERT

There had been friction between the National Convention and General
Dumouriez, who, though a fine soldier, was a remarkably indifferent
Republican. The Convention had unjustly ordered the arrest of his
commissariat officers, Petit-Jean and Malus, and in other ways irritated
a man whose patience was never of the longest.

On the eve, however, of war with Holland, the great ones in Paris
had suddenly perceived their error, and had sought--despite the many
enemies, from Marat downwards, that Dumouriez counted among their
numbers--to conciliate a general whose services they found that they
could not dispense with. This conciliation was the business upon
which the Deputy La Boulaye had been despatched to Antwerp, and as
an ambassador he proved signally successful, as much by virtue of the
excellent terms he was empowered to offer as in consequence of the
sympathy and diplomacy h