, whether or no. They cannot all have left
the house!"

I kicked the door desperately, and my relief was great when it opened.
A servant with a pale face stood before me, his knees visibly shaking.
And behind him was Croisette.

I think we fell straightway into one another's arms.

"And Marie," I cried, "Marie?"

"Marie is within, and madame," he answered joyfully; "we are together
again and nothing matters, But oh, Anne, where have you been? And what
is the matter? Is it a great fire? Or is the king dead? Or what is
it?"

I told him. I hastily poured out some of the things which had happened
to me, and some which I feared were in store for others. Naturally he
was surprised and shocked by the latter, though his fears had already
been aroused. But his joy and relief, when he heard the mystery of
Louis de Pavannes' marriage explained, were so great that they
swallowed up all other feelings. He could not say enough about it. He
pictured Louis again and again as Kit's lover, as our old friend, our
companion; as true, staunch, brave without fear, without reproach: and
it was long before his eyes ceased to sparkle, his tongue to run
merrily, the colour to mantle in his cheeks--long that is as time is
counted by minutes. But presently the remembrance of Louis' danger and
our own position returned more vividly. Our plan for rescuing him had
failed--failed!

"No! no!" cried Croisette, stoutly. He would not hear of it. He
would not have it at any price. "No, we will not give up hope! We
will go shoulder to shoulder and find him. Louis is as brave as a lion
and as quick as a weasel. We will find him in time yet. We will go
when--I mean as soon as--"

He faltered, and paused. His sudden silence as he looked round the
empty forecourt in which we stood was eloquent. The cold light, faint
and uncertain yet, was stealing into the court, disclosing a row of
stables on either side, and a tiny porter's hutch by the gates, and
fronting us a noble house of four storys, tall, grey, grim-looking.

I assented; gloomily however. "Yes," I said, "we will go when--"

And I too stopped. The same thought was in my mind. How could we
leave these people? How could we leave madame in her danger and
distress? How could we return her kindness by desertion? We could
not. No, not for Kit's sake. Because after all Louis, our Louis, was
a man, and must take his chance. He must take his chance. But I
groaned.

So