er eyes questioned him.

"Oh, none, madame," he assured her. "It is entirely a matter for
yourself."

Aline looked from one to the other with troubled eyes, hesitating to
take the letter that was now proffered. When she had read it through,
she very thoughtfully replaced it on the table. A moment she stood there
with bowed head, the other two watching her. Then impulsively she ran to
madame and put her arms about her.

"Aline!" It was a cry of wonder, almost of joy. "You do not utterly
abhor me!"

"My dear," said Aline, and kissed the tear-stained face that seemed to
have grown years older in these last few hours.

In the background Andre-Louis, steeling himself against emotionalism,
spoke with the voice of Scaramouche.

"It would be well, mesdames, to postpone all transports until they can
be indulged at greater leisure and in more security. It is growing late.
If we are to get out of this shambles we should be wise to take the road
without more delay."

It was a tonic as effective as it was necessary. It startled them into
remembrance of their circumstances, and under the spur of it they went
at once to make their preparations.

They left him for perhaps a quarter of an hour, to pace that long room
alone, saved only from impatience by the turmoil of his mind. When
at length they returned, they were accompanied by a tall man in a
full-skirted shaggy greatcoat and a broad hat the brim of which was
turned down all around. He remained respectfully by the door in the
shadows.

Between them the two women had concerted it thus, or rather the Countess
had so concerted it when Aline had warned her that Andre-Louis' bitter
hostility towards the Marquis made it unthinkable that he should move a
finger consciously to save him.

Now despite the close friendship uniting M. de Kercadiou and his niece
with Mme. de Plougastel, there were several matters concerning them of
which the Countess was in ignorance. One of these was the project at one
time existing of a marriage between Aline and M. de La Tour d'Azyr.
It was a matter that Aline--naturally enough in the state of her
feelings--had never mentioned, nor had M. de Kercadiou ever alluded to it
since his coming to Meudon, by when he had perceived how unlikely it was
ever to be realized.

M. de La Tour d'Azyr's concern for Aline on that morning of the duel
when he had found her half-swooning in Mme. de Plougastel's carriage had
been of a circumspection that betrayed no