l Badrutt, where every evening he was expected. This prolonged
absence keenly affected Mlle. Moriaz. She sought an explanation thereof;
the search occupied part of her days, and troubled her sleep. She had
too much character not to conceal her trouble and anxiety. Those about
her had not the least suspicion that she asked herself a hundred times
in the twenty-four hours: "Why does he not come? will he never come
again? is it a fixed resolution? Does he blame us for drawing out, by
our questions, the secret of his life? or does he suspect that I have
discovered him to be the writer of the anonymous letter? Will he leave
Engadine without bidding us good-bye? Perhaps he has already gone,
and we shall never see him again." This thought caused Mlle. Moriaz a
heart-burn that she had never before experienced. Her day had come; her
heart was no longer free: the bird had allowed itself to be caught.

Mlle. Moiseney said to her one evening: "It seems certain to me that we
never shall see Count Larinski again."

She replied in an almost indifferent tone, "No doubt he has found people
at Cellarina, or elsewhere, who are more entertaining than we."

"You mean to say," said Mlle. Moiseney, "that M. Moriaz and the
_bezique_ has frightened him away. I would not for worlds speak ill of
your father; he has all the good qualities imaginable, except a certain
delicacy of sentiment, which is not to be learned in dealing with acids.
Think of condemning a Count Larinski to play _bezique_! There are some
things that your father does not and never will understand."

M. Moriaz had entered meanwhile. "Please oblige me by explaining what it
is that I do not understand," said he to Mlle. Moiseney.

She replied with some embarrassment, "You do not understand, monsieur,
that certain visits were a charming diversion to us, and that now we
miss them."

"And do you think that I do not miss them? It has been four days since
I have had a game of cards. But how can it be helped? Poles are
fickle--more fools they who trust them."

"It may be simply that M. Larinski has been ill," interrupted
Antoinette, with perfect tranquility. "I think, father, that it would be
right for us to make inquiries."

The following day M. Moriaz went to Cellarina. He brought back word that
M. Larinski had gone on a walking-excursion through the mountains;
that he had started out with the intention of climbing to the summit of
Piz-Morteratsch, and of attempting the still