g
place.

"There is the inn!" said a portly fellow-traveller. "And a good thing,
too, that we'll have a roof over our heads, for there will be no driving
farther for some days to come."

"We must make a jovial Christmas party by ourselves," said another old
gentleman, gathering all his belongings together in preparation for
getting out.

I looked at mother. Her face was blanched.

"But surely," she said, "this snow won't prevent the second _diligence_
taking my daughter and myself to the _Pomme d'Or_ at Creux? It is only a
matter of an hour from here."

"You'll get no _diligence_ either to-day or to-morrow, madame," was the
answer she received.

The inn was reached--a funny little old-fashioned place--and we all
descended ankle deep into the newly-fallen snow.

The landlord of the inn was waiting at the door, and invited us all in
with true French courtesy. The cosy kitchen we entered had a lovely wood
fire in the old-fashioned grate, and the dancing flames cast a cheery
light upon the whitewashed walls. Oh, if only this had been the inn
where father was staying! How gladly we would have rested our weary
limbs and revelled in that glorious firelight. But it was not to be.

Mother's idea of another _diligence_ was quite pooh-poohed.

"If it had been coming it would have been here before now," announced
the landlord.

"Then we must walk it," returned my mother.

"Impossible," was the landlord's answer, and the portly old gentleman
seconded him. "It is a matter of five miles from here."

"If I wish to see my husband alive I must walk it," said my mother in
tremulous tones.

There was a murmur of commiseration, and the landlord, a kindly, genial
old Frenchman, trotted to the door of the inn and looked out. He came
back presently, rubbing his cold hands.

"The snow has ceased, the stars are coming out. If Madame insists----"
he shrugged his shoulders.

"We shall walk it if you will kindly direct us the way."

As she spoke my mother picked up her handbag, and I stooped for mine,
but was arrested by a deep voice saying,--

"I am going part of the way. If madame will allow me I will walk with
her."

I saw the landlord's open brow contract, and I turned to look at the
speaker. He was a tall, dark, low-browed man, with shaggy black hair and
deep-set eyes. He had been sitting there on our arrival, and I had not
liked his appearance at first sight. I now hoped that mother would not
accept his company. But m