fs on them with a grunt of satisfaction.

Lupin gazed down at them with a bitter face, and said: "Oh, you are in
luck! You're not married by any chance?"

"Yes, yes; I am," said Guerchard hastily; and he went quickly to the
door and opened it: "Dieusy!" he called. "Dieusy! Mademoiselle
Kritchnoff is at liberty. Tell her so, and bring her in here."

Lupin started back, flushed and scowling; he cried: "With these things
on my hands! ... No! ... I can't see her!"

Guerchard stood still, looking at him. Lupin's scowl slowly softened,
and he said, half to himself, "But I should have liked to see her ...
very much ... for if she goes like that ... I shall not know when or
where--" He stopped short, raised his eyes, and said in a decided tone:
"Ah, well, yes; I should like to see her."

"If you've quite made up your mind," said Guerchard impatiently, and he
went into the anteroom.

Lupin stood very still, frowning thoughtfully. He heard footsteps on
the stairs, and then the voice of Guerchard in the anteroom, saying, in
a jeering tone, "You're free, mademoiselle; and you can thank the Duke
for it. You owe your liberty to him."

"Free! And I owe it to him?" cried the voice of Sonia, ringing and
golden with extravagant joy.

"Yes, mademoiselle," said Guerchard. "You owe it to him."

She came through the open door, flushed deliciously and smiling, her
eyes brimming with tears of joy. Lupin had never seen her look half so
adorable.

"Is it to you I owe it? Then I shall owe everything to you. Oh, thank
you--thank you!" she cried, holding out her hands to him.

Lupin half turned away from her to hide his handcuffs.

She misunderstood the movement. Her face fell suddenly like that of a
child rebuked: "Oh, I was wrong. I was wrong to come here!" she cried
quickly, in changed, dolorous tones. "I thought yesterday ... I made a
mistake ... pardon me. I'm going. I'm going."

Lupin was looking at her over his shoulder, standing sideways to hide
the handcuffs. He said sadly. "Sonia--"

"No, no, I understand! It was impossible!" she cried quickly, cutting
him short. "And yet if you only knew--if you knew how I have
changed--with what a changed spirit I came here.... Ah, I swear that
now I hate all my past. I loathe it. I swear that now the mere presence
of a thief would overwhelm me with disgust."

"Hush!" said Lupin, flushing deeply, and wincing. "Hush!"

"But, after all, you're right," she said, in a gentler voice. "One