"How do you do, my little Therese?" he exclaimed. "You have altered too
since I saw you last. I left a little chit of a child, and now I behold
a grown-up young lady. Well! I must be off at once to pay my respects to
my dear old friend, your grandmother. All well at the chateau, eh?"

Therese shook hands warmly with M. Rambert and thanked him prettily.

"Grandmamma is very well; she told me to tell you to excuse her if she
did not come to meet you, but her doctor says she must not get up very
early."

"Of course your grandmamma is excused, my dear. Besides, I have to thank
her for her kindness to Charles, and for the hospitality she is going to
extend to me for a few days."

Meanwhile the train had gone on again, and now a porter came up to M.
Rambert.

"Will you take your luggage with you, sir?"

Recalled to material things, Etienne Rambert contemplated his trunk
which the porters had taken out of the luggage van.

"Good Lord!" he began, but Therese interrupted him.

"Grandmamma said she would send for your heavy luggage during the
morning, and that you could take your valise and any small parcels with
us in the brougham."

"What's that? Your grandmamma has taken the trouble to send her
carriage?"

"It's a long way to Beaulieu, you know," Therese replied. "Ask Charles
if it isn't. We came on foot and the walk would be too tiring for you
after a whole night in the train."

The three had reached the station yard, and Therese stopped in surprise.

"Why, how's that?" she exclaimed; "the carriage is not here. And yet
Jean was beginning to get it ready when we left the chateau."

M. Etienne Rambert was resting one hand on his son's shoulder, and
contemplating him with an affectionate, all-embracing survey every now
and then. He smiled at Therese.

"He may have been delayed, dear. I tell you what we will do. Since your
grandmamma is going to send for my luggage there is no need for me to
take my valise; we can leave everything in the cloak-room and start for
the chateau on foot; if my memory serves me right--and it is a very good
memory--there is only one road, so we shall meet Jean and can get into
the carriage on the way."

A few minutes later all three set out on the road to Beaulieu. M.
Rambert walked between the two young people; he had gallantly offered
his arm to Therese, who was not a little proud of the attention, which
proved to her mind that she was now regarded as a grown-up young lady.
On the o