y felt at such an interruption
to my thought. Yet so great is the force of novelty to women they
clung about me as if I were some strange tame animal brought to Paris
for their divertisement.

"Zounds, Margot dear," de Virelle blurted out aside, for even his dull
senses saw I was not pleased, "our good Moliere must have had this
hermit captain in his mind when he made Alceste to rail so at the
hypocrisies of the world, and urge the telling of truth and looking of
truth at all times."

"How brutally frank! What bad breeding," assented that young woman.

"This captain seems so full of weariness at our coming, and lacks the
grace to veil it decently; let us go."

Finding no hand of mine raised to hinder them, these fair dames and
demoiselles, with many pretty pouts and flutters and flounces, betook
themselves away, followed by their faithful squire.

I began then to feel sorry at having disgraced Jerome's gentle
teachings. The light dying away across the distant fields and streams,
I resigned my solitary communion and set out slowly toward the villa.
The meaning of all the girl had said now forced itself upon my
attention. If this were true, and it seemed plausible enough in view
of all that had transpired here, I was indeed confronted by a new and
serious danger. Happily danger was not a new fellow-traveler; I merely
turned over in my mind the best means to meet it.

Going rather out of my way, I found the grooms without much difficulty,
and telling them we were to leave Sceaux at once, ordered the horses
saddled, and made ready at a side door where I directed them to wait.
My own mind was to tell Jerome nothing of it, but simply to mount the
best horse and ride away alone--if that course became necessary.

* * * * * *

I will break in a bit just here to speak of an incident which occurred
that very night in the modest boudoir of Madame de la Mora. Had I but
known of it at the time, it would have saved me many weary months of
suffering.

Madame Agnes de la Mora sat placidly, her work basket by her side,
busied about some lace she was mending. The Chevalier studied a number
of military maps of Louisiana at his table. It was a pretty picture of
domestic harmony, then quite unfashionable at Sceaux. A timid rap at
the door, and a voice:

"Sister, may I come in?"

"Yes, child," and her sister Charlotte slipped silently in and sat
herself upon the floor at Madame's feet. Th