f the others were thinking of beginning; but at that moment she was
overpowered by Mademoiselle Therese suddenly flinging herself upon her
and kissing her on both cheeks.

"This!" she said solemnly, holding Barbara with one hand and
gesticulating with the other--"this is the one we must thank for the
capture. She directed the landlord--her brains planned the arrest--_she_
will appear against him in court."

"Oh, no!" Barbara cried in distress, "I really can't do that. They have
telegraphed for Madame Belvoir's son from Neuilly--he will do. I really
could not appear in court."

"But you can speak French quite well enough now--you need not mind about
that; and it will be quite an event to appear in court. It is not
_every_ girl of your age who can do that."

Mademoiselle spoke almost enviously; but the idea was abhorrent to
Barbara, who determined, if possible, to avoid such an ordeal.

The next afternoon they had a visit from one of Madame Belvoir's sons,
who had come across to see what was to be done about the "solicitor."
Barbara was very glad to see him, for it brought back remembrances of the
first happy fortnight in Paris.

It was rather comforting to know, too, that the result of one of the
plots she had been concerned in had been satisfactory, for the news about
Alice was good. She was getting on well with French, and all the
Belvoirs liked her very much. The "American gentleman" had been to see
her twice, and her father had not only given her permission to stay, but
had written to Mademoiselle Eugenie to that effect, and was coming over
himself to see her.

CHAPTER XVII.

A MEMORY AND A "MANOIR."

No amount of wishing on Barbara's part could do away with the necessity
for her appearing in court, and the ordeal had to be gone through.

"If I were a novelist, now," she said ruefully to Mademoiselle Therese,
"I might be able to make some use of it, but as I am just a plain,
ordinary person----"

Her chief consolation was that the boy had written saying he had joined
his sister and that he "had never been so happy in his life." He was
going to be a farmer, he said, and Barbara wondered why, of all
occupations, he had fixed upon one that appeared to be so unsuitable;
but, as a proof of his good intentions, poor boy, he had sent her ten
shillings of the money she had lent him, and promised to forward the
rest as soon as he could. It was some comfort also, as Mademoiselle
Vire pointed out, th