to bed again as fast as ever I could, and sat up all
night with her.

"In the morning she was too ill to rise, and did not get well again for
more than a week. The count did not seem much concerned about it,
though he sent Mr. Pierre to enquire after her.

"The first time she came downstairs to supper, my master went up to
her, and said a few words in a low voice, and then she walked silently
and thoughtfully to her seat. And silent and thoughtful she remained,
for the matter of that. But she slept quietly of nights, and did her
work, as usual, like a pattern. She asked me now and then, whether any
answer had been made to our advertisement. Our letters all went through
Mr. Pierre's hands, and he had heard of none. But she seemed in no
hurry to go, and I was only too glad to have her stay.

"Spring came, and we were still without my dear young count. Instead of
him, there arrived one day a very disagreeable stranger, a gentleman
from London--and indeed I don't think that even my master was quite
glad to see him. But he did his best to receive him civilly, as was due
to an old acquaintance; he rode with him all over the country, and he
invited people to play cards with him. They would sit up gambling till
daybreak; trying all the wines in the cellar, and never once coming
down to the hall.

"This went on for about a fortnight, and glad enough I was when I heard
that the English Lord was going away next morning. The last day, they
had been to dine at the Baron's, eight miles off; it might be about
nine o'clock, when we heard their horses come pattering over the
bridge. We were just at supper, and I was getting up to take a candle,
and light the gentleman upstairs, but before we could leave the table,
they came in. The English gentleman foremost, with that look he had in
his eyes when he had just dined. And the count came after him, with his
riding-whip under his arm, and his spurs jingling with that heavy tread
by which I knew that his spirit was up.

"We all rise, and make our bows and curtsies; the English Lord, keeping
his hat upon his head, gives us a sort of condescending nod, and says:
'Devil take long rides, Harry! I feel as stiff as a poker! don't
let us go upstairs to-night; let us have our grog down here by the
chimney corner--I incline to affability towards these your trusty
vassals!'--and he stared from one of us to the other, and never
listened to what the count was saying to him in French, in a low
voic