oni and her tamed father--"
(he used the word _aprivoise_--"_son pere aprivoise_"!) "we should here
see very little of the outside world. And of what sex, madame, are these
new acquaintances, if one may ask?"

"They are men, _cher pere_--bold, bad Englishmen!--think of it! but I
can only tell you the name of one of them--the other is
problematical--he has merely been spoken of as, 'My friend'--but he is
young, I gather, so just the affaire of Mere Imogen!"

"Why, that's likely!" chirped Madame Imogen, with a strong American
accent, in her French English. "But I do pine for some gay things down
here, don't you, Father?"

Pere Anselme was heard to murmur that he found youth enough in his
hostess, if you asked him.

"At the same time, we must welcome these Englishmen," he added, "should
they be people of cultivation." He had heard that, in their upper
classes, the Englishmen of to-day were still the greatest gentlemen
left, and he would be pleased to meet examples of them.

"They will arrive at about five o'clock, I suppose," Sabine announced.
"Have you seen about their rooms, Mere Imogen? Lord Fordyce is to have
the Louis XIV suite, and the friend the one beyond; and we will only let
them come into our house if they do not bore us. We shall dine in the
_salle-a-manger_ to-night and sit in the big salon."

These rooms were seldom opened, except when Princess Torniloni came to
stay and brought her son, Sabine's godchild, who had elaborate nurseries
prepared for him. No other visitor had ever crossed the causeway, and
Madame Imogen's cute mind was asking itself why clemency had been
accorded to these two Britons. The English, as she knew, were not a
favored race with her employer.

They had been together for about two years now, she and Sabine--and were
excellent friends.

Madame Imogen Aubert had been in great straits in Paris, when Sabine had
heard of her through one of her many American acquaintances. Stupid
speculation by an over-confident, silly French husband just before his
death in Nevada had been the reason. Madame Imogen had the kindest heart
and the hardest common sense, and did credit to a distant Scotch
descent. She adored Sabine, as indeed she had reason to do, and looked
after her house and her servants with a hawk's eye.

After dejeuner was over, the Dame d'Heronac and the Cure crossed the
causeway bridge, and beyond the great towered gate entered another at
the side, which conducted them into the