h hold of one of the horses, then!" He
turned to the lady. "You drive, madame?"

"Yes."

"Then do me the favour." He gave her the reins, with a gesture of
apology stepped in front of her, and lowered himself into the water on
the left-hand side. "Now, my friend, one of us at each of their heads,
and we do it! The whip, madame with all your might, the whip!"

The horses made a bound; the driver dashed forward and caught one by
the bridle; the lady lashed. On his side Dieppe, clinging to a trace,
made his way forward. Both he and the driver now shouted furiously,
their voices echoing in the hills that rose from the river on either
side, and rising at last in a shout of triumph as the wheels turned,
the horses gained firm footing, and with a last spring forward landed
the carriage in safety.

The driver swore softly and crossed himself devoutly before he fell to
a rueful study of the roof of the landau.

"Monsieur, I am eternally indebted to you," cried the lady to Dieppe.

"It is a reciprocal service, madame," said he. "To tell the truth, I
also had special reasons for wishing to gain this side of the river."

She appeared a trifle embarrassed, but civility, or rather gratitude,
impelled her to the suggestion. "You are travelling my way?" she asked.

"A thousand thanks, but I have some business to transact first."

She seemed relieved, but she was puzzled, too. "Business? Here?" she
murmured.

Dieppe nodded. "It will not keep me long," he added gravely.

The driver had succeeded in restoring the top of the landau to a
precarious stability. Dieppe handed the lady down from the box-seat
and into the interior. The driver mounted his perch; the lady leant
out of the window to take farewell of her ally.

"Every hour was of value to me," she said, with a plain touch of
emotion in her voice, "and but for you I should have been taken back to
Sasellano. We shall meet again, I hope."

"I shall live in the hope," said he, with a somewhat excessive
gallantry--a trick of which he could not cure himself.

The driver whipped up--he did not intend that either he or his horses,
having escaped drowning, should die of cold. The equipage lumbered up
the hill, its inmate still leaning out and waving her hand. Dieppe
watched until the party reached the zigzags and was hidden from view,
though he still heard the crack of the whip.

"Very interesting, very interesting!" he murmured to himself. "But now
to busi