wonder if you could!"

"I will, or die in the attempt. Tell me how!" And the Captain kissed
the hand that he had captured.

"There are conditions."

"Not too hard?"

"First, you must n't breathe a word to the Count of having seen me
or--or anybody else."

"I should n't have done that, anyhow," remarked Dieppe, with a sudden
twinge of conscience.

"Secondly, you must never try to see me, except when I give you leave."

"I won't try, I will only long," said the Captain.

"Thirdly, you must ask no questions."

"It is too soon to ask the only one which I would n't pledge myself at
your bidding never to ask."

"To whom," inquired the lady, "do you conceive yourself to be speaking,
Captain Dieppe?" But the look that accompanied the rebuke was not very
severe.

"Tell me what I must do," implored the Captain.

She looked at him very kindly, partly because he was a handsome fellow,
partly because it was her way; and she said with the prettiest,
simplest air, as though she were making the most ordinary request and
never thought of a refusal:

"Will you give me fifty thousand francs?"

"I would give you a million thousand--but I have only fifty."

"It would be your all, then! Oh, I should n't like to--"

"You misunderstand me, madame. I have fifty francs, not fifty
thousand."

"Oh!" said she, frowning. Then she laughed a little; then, to Dieppe's
indescribable agony, her eyes filled with tears and her lips quivered.
She put her hand up to her eyes; Dieppe heard a sob.

"For God's sake--" he whispered.

"Oh, I can't help it," she said, and she sobbed again; but now she did
not try to hide her face. She looked up in the Captain's, conquering
her sobs, but unable to restrain her tears. "It's not my fault, and it
is so hard on me," she wailed. Then she suddenly jumped back, crying,
"Oh, what were you going to do?" and regarding the Captain with
reproachful alarm.

"I don't know," said Dieppe in some confusion, as he straightened
himself again. "I could n't help it; you aroused my sympathy," he
explained--for what the explanation might be worth.

"You won't be able to help me," she murmured, "unless--unless--"

"What?"

"Well, unless you 're able to help it, you know."

"I will think," promised Dieppe, "of my friend the Count."

"Of the--? Oh yes, of course." There never was such a face for
changes--she was smiling now. "Yes, think of your friend the Count,
that will be capital. Oh, but w