"She was tall, dark, and dignified in appearance. She spoke slowly,
with a slight drawl--"

"Yes, yes!"

"And she was very eager to pursue her journey. She must have come by
here. Did n't you hear the wheels?"

"No--I--I--was n't thinking." But she was thinking now. The next
instant she cried, "I must go, I must go at once."

"But where?"

"Why, back home, of course! Where else should I go? Oh, I may be too
late!"

Unquestionably she knew something--how much the Captain could not tell.
His feelings may be imagined. His voice was low, and very
compassionate as he asked:

"You 'll go home? When she 's there? At least, if I conclude
rightly--"

"Yes, I must go. I must get there before she sees Andrea, otherwise,
all will be lost."

For the instant her agitation seemed to make her forget Dieppe's
presence, or what he might think of her manner. Now she recovered
herself. "I mean--I mean--I want to speak to her. I must tell her--"

"Tell her nothing. Confront her with that." And the Captain produced
the gold locket with an air of much solemnity.

His action did not miss its effect. She gazed at the locket in
apparent bewilderment.

"No, don't open it," he added hastily.

"Where did you get it?"

"She dropped it by the river. It was open when I picked it up."

"Why, it 's the locket-- How does it open?" She was busy looking for
the spring.

"I implore you not to open it!" he cried, catching her hand and
restraining her.

"Why?" she asked, pausing and looking up at him.

The question and the look that accompanied it proved too great a strain
for Dieppe's self-control. Now he caught both her hands in his as he
said:

"Because I can't bear that you should suffer. Because I love you too
much."

Without a doubt it was delight that lit up her, eyes now, but she
whispered reprovingly, "Oh, you! You the ambassador."

"I had n't seen that locket when I became his ambassador."

"Let go my hands."

"Indeed I can't," urged the Captain. But she drew them away with a
sharp motion that he could not resist, and before he could say or do
more to stop her she had opened the locket.

"As I thought," she cried, hurriedly reclasping it and turning to him
in eager excitement; "I must go, indeed I must go at once!"

"Alone?" asked Captain Dieppe, with a simple, but effective eloquence.

At least it appeared very effective. She came nearer to him and, of
her own accord now, laid her hands