tender and proud and joyful in his looks, took her
unresisting hand and drew her forward.

"Mary Virginia!" I had not known how rich and deep the Butterfly Man's
voice could be. "Mary Virginia, we promised you last night that if you
would trust us, the Padre and me, we'd find the right way out, didn't
we? Now this is what happened: the Padre took his troubles to the
Lord, and the Lord presently sent him back to _me_--with the beginning
of the answer in his hand! And here's the whole answer, Mary
Virginia." And he placed in her hand the package of letters that meant
so much to her.

My mother gave a little scream. "Armand!" she said, fearfully. "She
has told me all. _Mon Dieu_, how have you two managed this, between
midnight and morning? My son, you are a De Rance: look me in the eyes
and tell me there is nothing wrong, that there will be no ill
consequences--"

"There won't be any comebacks," said John Flint, with engaging
confidence. "As for you, Mary Virginia, you don't have to worry for
one minute about what those fellows can do--because they can't do
anything. They're double-crossed. Now listen: when you see Hunter, you
are to say to him, '_Thank you for returning my letters_.' Just that
and no more. If there's any questioning, _stare_. Stare hard. If
there's any threatening about your father, _smile_. You can afford to
smile. They can't touch him. But _how_ those letters came into your
hands you are never to tell, you understand? They did come and that's
all that interests you." He began to laugh, softly. "All Hunter will
want to know is that you've received them. He's too game not to lose
without noise, and he'll make Inglesby swallow his dose without
squealing, too. So--you're finished and done with Mr. Hunter and Mr.
Inglesby!" His voice deepened again, as he added gently: "It was just
a bad dream, dear girl. It's gone with the night. Now it's morning,
and you're awake."

But Mary Virginia, white as wax, stared at the letters in her hand,
and then at me, and trembled.

"Trust us, my child," said I, somewhat troubled. "And obey John Flint
implicitly. Do just what he tells you to do, say just what he tells
you to say."

Mary Virginia looked from one to the other, thrust the package upon
me, walked swiftly up to him, and, laying her hands upon his arms
stared with passionate earnestness into his face: the kind, wise,
lovable face that every child in Appleboro County adores, every woman
trusts, every man re