on his lean shanks, low
shoes with silver buckles, a brocaded waistcoat. A long-skirted coat _a
la Francaise_ covered loosely his bowed back. A small three-cornered hat
rested on a lot of powdered hair tied behind in a queue.

"_Monsieur le Chevalier_," called General D'Hubert softly.

"What? You again here, _mon ami_? Have you forgotten something?"

"By heavens! That's just it. I have forgotten something. I am come to
tell you of it. No--outside. Behind this wall. It's too ghastly a thing
to be let in at all where she lives."

The Chevalier came out at once with that benevolent resignation some
old people display towards the fugue of youth. Older by a quarter of a
century than General D'Hubert, he looked upon him in the secret of
his heart as a rather troublesome youngster in love. He had heard his
enigmatical words very well, but attached no undue importance to what a
mere man of forty so hard hit was likely to do or say. The turn of mind
of the generation of Frenchmen grown up during the years of his exile
was almost unintelligible to him. Their sentiments appeared to him
unduly violent, lacking fineness and measure, their language needlessly
exaggerated. He joined the general on the road, and they made a few
steps in silence, the general trying to master his agitation and get
proper control of his voice.

"Chevalier, it is perfectly true. I forgot something. I forgot till
half an hour ago that I had an urgent affair of honour on my hands. It's
incredible but so it is!"

All was still for a moment. Then in the profound evening silence of the
countryside the thin, aged voice of the Chevalier was heard trembling
slightly.

"Monsieur! That's an indignity."

It was his first thought. The girl born during his exile, the posthumous
daughter of his poor brother, murdered by a band of Jacobins, had grown
since his return very dear to his old heart, which had been starving on
mere memories of affection for so many years.

"It is an inconceivable thing--I say. A man settles such affairs before
he thinks of asking for a young girl's hand. Why! If you had forgotten
for ten days longer you would have been married before your memory
returned to you. In my time men did not forget such things--nor yet
what's due to the feelings of an innocent young woman. If I did not
respect them myself I would qualify your conduct in a way which you
would not like."

General D'Hubert relieved himself frankly by a groan.

"Don't let t