to the enervating
warmth of her own apartments.

Catrina gathered up the reins and gave a little cry, at which the ponies
leaped forward, and in a whirl of driven snow the sleigh glided off
between the pines.

At first there was no opportunity of conversation, for the ponies were
fresh and troublesome. The road over which they were passing had not
been beaten down by the passage of previous sleighs, so that the powdery
snow rose up like dust, and filled the eyes and mouth.

"It will be better presently," gasped Catrina, wrestling with her
fractious little Tartar thoroughbreds, "when we get out on to the
high-road."

De Chauxville sat quite still. If he felt any misgiving as to her power
of mastering her team he kept it to himself. There was a subtle
difference in his manner toward Catrina when they were alone together, a
suggestion of camaraderie, of a common interest and a common desire, of
which she was conscious without being able to put definite meaning to
it.

It annoyed and alarmed her. While giving her full attention to the
management of the sleigh, she was beginning to dread the first words of
this man, who was merely wielding a cheap power acquired in the shady
course of his career. There is nothing so disarming as the assumed air
of intimate knowledge of one's private thoughts and actions. De
Chauxville assumed this air with a skill against which Catrina's dogged
strength of character was incapable of battling. His manner conveyed the
impression that he knew more of Catrina's inward thoughts than any other
living being, and she was simple enough to be frightened into the
conclusion that she had betrayed herself to him. There is no simpler
method of discovering a secret than to ignore its existence.

It is possible that De Chauxville became aware of Catrina's sidelong
glances of anxiety in his direction. He may have divined that silence
was more effective than speech.

He sat looking straight in front of him, as if too deeply absorbed in
his own thoughts to take even a passing interest in the scenery.

"Why did you come here?" asked Catrina suddenly.

De Chauxville seemed to awake from a revery. He turned and looked at her
in assumed surprise. They were on the high-road now, where the snow was
beaten down, so conversation was easy.

"But--to see you, mademoiselle."

"I am not _that_ sort of girl," answered Catrina coldly. "I want the
truth."

De Chauxville gave a short laugh and looked at her.